Your First Aviation Medical: What Really Happens
Share this story Quick Facts What It Is A medical examination by an FAA-designated Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) — required before solo flight Classes Third Class (private pilots), Second Class (commercial pilots), First Class (airline transport pilots) Duration...
Night Flying: What It’s Really Like From the Left Seat
Share this story Quick Facts FAA Requirement Night flying experience is required for the Private Pilot Licence (PPL) — minimum 3 hours of night training, including 10 night takeoffs and landings Definition of “Night” FAA: the period from the end of evening...
F-47: $3.5 Billion for America’s Next Fighter
Share this story Quick Facts Aircraft Boeing F-47 (sixth-generation air superiority fighter) Prime Contractor Boeing FY2027 Budget Request ~$3.5 billion ($2.6B discretionary + $900M reconciliation) Congressional Add Additional $500M (raising base to $3.08B) Replaces...
SR-71 Crews Carried Suppressed Pistols
Share this story Quick Facts Weapon Smith & Wesson Model 41, .22 LR calibre Ordered March 1967, by the U.S. Air Force Quantity 30 pistols Modifications Threaded 5-inch barrel, slide lock mechanism, factory-fitted sound suppressor, extra magazines Special Feature...
Blue Angels Grounded: War Cancels the Airshow Season
Quick Facts Team U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron — the Blue Angels Aircraft Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (transitioned from legacy Hornets in 2021) Founded 1946 — celebrating their 80th anniversary in 2026 Shows Cancelled NAS El Centro (March 14) and NAS...
Warthog’s Last War: A-10s Deploy Before Retirement
Share this story Quick Facts Units Deploying 124th Fighter Wing (Idaho ANG) and 127th Wing (Michigan ANG) Aircraft Approximately 20 A-10C Thunderbolt II “Warthogs” Operation Epic Fury (ongoing since February 28, 2026) Staging Route Portsmouth, NH → RAF...
A Sheep, a Duck, and a King: The Day Humanity First Left the Ground
Share this story On the morning of September 19, 1783, at the Palace of Versailles, King Louis XVI of France watched a balloon rise into the sky carrying three passengers: a sheep named Montauciel, a duck, and a rooster. They flew for eight minutes and landed two...
Behind Enemy Lines: The Most Daring Rescue Since Bosnia
Share this story Quick Facts EventCombat Search and Rescue of downed F-15E Strike Eagle crew deep inside Iran DatesApril 3–5, 2026 Aircraft LostF-15E Strike Eagle (48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath), A-10C Thunderbolt II, two MC-130J Commando IIs, at least one MH-6...
30 Hours, 11,000 Miles: The B-2 Kosovo Missions That Set a Record
Share this story Quick Facts AircraftNorthrop Grumman B-2A Spirit stealth bomber Mission DurationOver 30 hours non-stop (some missions exceeded 33 hours) Distance~11,000 miles round trip OriginWhiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, USA Target AreaSerbia and Kosovo —...
United 232: The DC-10 That Landed With No Hydraulics
Share this story Quick Facts FlightUnited Airlines Flight 232, Denver to Chicago DateJuly 19, 1989 AircraftMcDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 (N1819U) CrewCaptain Al Haynes, First Officer Bill Records, Flight Engineer Dudley Dvorak, plus off-duty instructor Captain Dennis...
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