On the morning of July 25, 1909, Louis Blériot climbed into a 25-horsepower monoplane that he had built himself, pointed it north across the grey water of the English Channel, and disappeared into the fog. He had no compass. He had no landmarks. He had no way to know...
Share this story Born in poverty in a Florida sawmill town, Jacqueline Cochran rose from orphan mill worker to become the most decorated female pilot in aviation history. Her journey from rags to the sound barrier is a testament to unwavering determination, audacious...
Share this story On the morning of March 6, 1990, two men strapped themselves into the most advanced aircraft ever built. One sat in front, the other behind. Both knew what they were about to do: fly the fastest airplane in history for the last time.Lieutenant Colonel...
Share this story There is no fighter in the history of aerial combat that can match the F-15 Eagle’s record. One hundred and four confirmed air-to-air kills. Zero losses to enemy fighters. Not a single combat loss in air-to-air engagements across more than 50...
Share this story After 2.5 years of meticulous maintenance and restoration, the Commemorative Air Force’s B-24 Liberator “Diamond Lil” is ready to fly again. On April 11, 2026, at the Henry B. Tippie National Aviation Education Center in Dallas, Texas, the...
Share this story On April 8, 2026, a ghost emerged from the waters off Japan’s Kagoshima Prefecture. In just three meters of shallow sea, searchers recovered the Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden-Kai—”Violet Lightning”—a Japanese fighter that had been lost to...
Share this story On the afternoon of March 5, 1936, Captain Joseph “Mutt” Summers climbed into the cockpit of a prototype designated K5054 at Eastleigh Aerodrome near Southampton. Eight minutes later, he landed, climbed out, and reportedly said:...
At 10:35 on the morning of December 17, 1903, on a cold, windswept beach in North Carolina, a 32-year-old bicycle mechanic from Dayton, Ohio climbed onto a wooden biplane, opened the throttle of a 12-horsepower engine, and flew. Orville Wright stayed aloft for 12...
Quick Facts PilotColonel Chuck Yeager, USAF — the first human to break the sound barrier (1947) AircraftLockheed NF-104A Aerospace Trainer — an F-104 Starfighter modified with a 6,000-lb thrust Rocketdyne AR2-3 rocket motor DateDecember 10, 1963 Peak Altitude108,700...
Quick Facts AircraftMesserschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (“Swallow”) — the world’s first operational jet fighter First FlightJuly 18, 1942 (jet-only power); entered service April 1944 Top Speed870 km/h (540 mph) — roughly 150 km/h faster than any Allied...
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