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The Aviation Portal

A Boeing 747 in 1978 operated by Pan Am

Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. Aircraft includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as hot air balloons and airships.

Aviation began in the 18th century with the development of the hot air balloon, an apparatus capable of atmospheric displacement through buoyancy. Clément Ader built the "Ader Éole" in France and made an uncontrolled, powered hop in 1890. This is the first powered aircraft, although it did not achieve controlled flight. Some of the most significant advancements in aviation technology came with the controlled gliding flying of Otto Lilienthal in 1896; then a large step in significance came with the construction of the first powered airplane by the Wright brothers in the early 1900s. Since that time, aviation has been technologically revolutionized by the introduction of the jet which permitted a major form of transport throughout the world. (Full article...)

Selected article

A U.S. Air Force F-35A off the coast of Florida
A U.S. Air Force F-35A off the coast of Florida
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Lockheed Martin is the prime F-35 contractor, with principal partners Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. The aircraft has three main variants: the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A, the short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL) F-35B, and the carrier-based (CV/CATOBAR) F-35C. (Full article...)

Selected image

An attitude indicator (AI), gyro horizon or artificial horizon, is an instrument used in an aircraft to inform the pilot of the orientation of the airplane relative to earth.

Did you know

...that four planes were simultaneously hijacked in the 1970 Dawson's Field hijackings? ...that the Ryan X-13 Vertijet aircraft landed by using a hook on its nose to hang itself on a wire? ... that the airline Vildanden started its first route with wet leased aircraft from Coast Air?

More Did you know facts

General images - load new batch

The following are images from various aviation-related articles on Wikipedia.

In the news

Wikinews Aviation portal
Read and edit Wikinews

Associated Wikimedia

The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:

Selected biography

Jeana Yeager (born May 18, 1952, in Fort Worth, Texas) is an aviator, most famous for flying with Dick Rutan on a non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world in the Voyager aircraft from December 14 to December 23, 1986. The flight took 9 days, 3 minutes, and 44 seconds and covered 24,986 miles (40,211 km), more than doubling the old distance record. She received the US annual Harmon Trophy for outstanding international achievements in the aeronautics, and is the first woman recipient of the Collier Trophy for "the greatest achievement in aeronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety" of aircraft.

Despite her surname, Jeana Yeager is not related to Chuck Yeager, the first man to break the sound barrier in level flight.

Selected Aircraft

A spitfire in flight
A spitfire in flight

The Supermarine Spitfire was a single-seat fighter used by the RAF and many Allied countries in World War II.

Produced by Supermarine, the Spitfire was designed by R.J. Mitchell, who continued to refine it until his death from cancer in 1937. The elliptical wing had a thin cross-section, allowing a faster top speed than the Hurricane and other contemporary designs; it also resulted in a distinctive appearance. Much loved by its pilots, the Spitfire saw service during the whole of World War II, in all theatres of war, and in many different variants.

More than 20,300 examples of all variants were built, including two-seat trainers, with some Spitfires remaining in service well into the 1950s. It was the only fighter aircraft to be in continual production before, during and after the war.

The aircraft was dubbed Spitfire by Sir Robert MacLean, director of Vickers (the parent company of Supermarine) at the time, and on hearing this, Mitchell is reported to have said, "...sort of bloody silly name they would give it." The word dates from Elizabethan times and refers to a particularly fiery, ferocious type of person, usually a woman. The name had previously been used unofficially for Mitchell's earlier F.7/30 Type 224 design.

The prototype (K5054) first flew on March 5, 1936, from Eastleigh Aerodrome (later Southampton Airport). Testing continued until May 26, 1936, when Mutt Summers (Chief Test Pilot for Vickers (Aviation) Ltd.) flew K5054 to Martlesham and handed the aircraft over to Squadron Leader Anderson of the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE).

  • Length: 29 ft 11 in (9.12 m)
  • Wingspan: 36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)
  • Height: 12 ft 8 in (3.86 m)
  • Number Built: 20,351 (excluding Seafires)
  • Maximum speed: 330 knots (378 mph, 605 km/h)
  • Maiden flight: March 5, 1936
  • Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Merlin 45 supercharged V12 engine, 1470 hp at 9250 ft (1096 kW at 2820 m)

Today in Aviation

April 7

  • 2013 – Widespread Syrian airstrikes against rebel forces in seven cities and regions kill at least 20 people.[1]
  • 2011 – Unaware that Libyan rebels had taken possession of any tanks, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) aircraft mistakenly strike a Libyan rebel tank convoy near Ajdabiya, killing thirteen and wounding many,[2][3] Other NATO airstrikes mistakenly kill two rebels and wound 10 in Brega.[4][5]
  • 2010 – United Airlines Flight 663 incident was a "minor international incident" in 2010 involving a Qatari diplomat on the leg of a United Airlines flight from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (Washington, DC) to Denver International Airport (Denver, Colorado). The diplomat prompted a mid-air terrorism alert after smoking in the airplane lavatory, which led the Qatari government to recall him two days later.
  • 2009 – A Philippine Air Force Bell 412 helicopter crashes in bad weather in a heavily forested area at Mount Mangingihe, Sitio Tawangan, Kabayan, Benguet, Philippines. The helicopter was travelling from Loakan Airport to Ifugao in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon when it crashed killing the 3 crew and 5 government officials.
  • 2004 – OH-58D Kiowa crashes near Baquba after being hit by ground fire; pilots rescued.
  • 2003 – F-15E 88-1694/SJ of 4th FW/335th FS crashed on a combat bombing mission near Tikrit, Iraq. Both the pilot and Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) were killed.[6][7][8]
  • 2001 – The robotic spacecraft Odyssey launches on its mission to orbit Mars, arriving at the planet the following October. The craft later collects data that would guess water to be on the plant. This is later confirmed by the Phoenix lander in July of 2008.
  • 1999 – A Boeing KC-135R-BN Stratotanker, 57-1478, c/n 17549, of the 151st Air Refueling Squadron, Tennessee Air National Guard, is written off while undergoing maintenance at the Oklahoma ALC, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, when the cabin is over-pressurized during a test and ruptures, tearing a 35 foot (10.6 m) hole in the aft fuselage, allowing tail section to drop to the ground.
  • 1994 – TAAG Angola L-100 (C-130) D2-THC catches fire while taxiing to a parking spot due to overheated brakes in Malengue, Angola. All 4 occupants escaped unharmed.
  • 1994 – Federal Express Flight 705, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30, experiences an attempted hijacking by a FedEx employee; the three crew members are severely injured, but manage to subdue the attacker and land the aircraft safely with no loss of life.
  • 1992 – Azerbaijan Airlines were established.
  • 1983 – STS-6, using space Shuttle Challenger, launches. The mission is the first perform to a spacewalk.
  • 1972 – Both CF Bomarc SAM Squadrons closed.
  • 1972 – American aircraft resume regular bombing of North Vietnam in response to the North Vietnamese "Easter Offensive" invasion of South Vietnam.
  • 1969 – Mitsubishi-assembled, from Sikorsky components, Sikorsky HSS-1N Seabat, 8567, c/n 58-1528, of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, crashes this date, the sole loss of the type during Japanese service.
  • 1967 – (7-22) The U. S. Army's first Cavalry Division (Airmobile) conducts Operation Lejeune, a helicopter and ground assault against Viet Cong forces in Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam.
  • 1961 – Boeing B-52B-30-BO Stratofortress, 53-0380, c/n 16859, "Ciudad Juarez", of the 95th Bomb Wing, Biggs AFB, Texas, shot down by inadvertent launch of AIM-9 Sidewinder from a 188th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, New Mexico ANG North American F-100A-20-NA Super Sabre, 53-1662. Two F-100s, piloted by 1st Lt. James W. van Sycoc and Capt. Dale Dodd, had made five passes at the bomber when, on the sixth pass, pilot 1st Lt. van Sycoc radioed "Look out! One of my missiles is loose!" The heat-seeker missile struck one of the BUFF's engine pods on the port wing causing failure of the wing structure, and subsequent break-up of the bomber. Pilot, co-pilot, crew chief and tail gunner successfully eject, but three other crew are KWF when the B-52 crashed on Mount Taylor, New Mexico.
  • 1958 – AREA Ecuador Flight 222, a Douglas C-47 (DC-3) registered HC-ACL, crashes into a Chugchilan range of mountains after not maintaining the proper heading, resulting the fatalities of all 32 aboard.
  • 1957 – A Varig Curtiss C-46 Commando (PP-VCF) crashes shortly after takeoff due to a fire in the left main gear wheel well. The pilot thought it was one of the engines, and shut it down unnecessarily. A go-around during a landing attempt when the gear doesn’t drop (due to the fire), allows more time for the fire to spread, leading to the left wing separating from the aircraft after the metal fatigue. All 40 aboard the aircraft perish.
  • 1956 – USAF Douglas C-124C-DL Globemaster II, 52-1078, c/n 43987, of the 1501st Air Transport Wing, crashes just after takeoff from Travis AFB, California, killing three of the seven crew on board. Aircraft stalled at 100 feet, dropped one wing and plunged to the ground just SW of the base. Airframe splits into three sections, burns. The cause is attributed to incorrect assembly of the elevator and aileron control cables.
  • 1950 – ASole prototype, Nord NC 1080 single-engine naval fighter, F-WFKZ, first flown 29 July 1949, is completely destroyed in a flight accident. Pilot Pierre Gallay dies in the accident. Cause is never determined and the project is abandoned.
  • 1948 – The Royal Canadian Navy’s aircraft carrier, HMCS Magnificent, was commissioned to replace HMCS Warrior.
  • 1945 – Accompanying B-29 Superfortresses, P-51 Mustangs of the U. S. Army Air Forces’ 15th, 21st, and 506th Fighter Groups based on Iwo Jima become the first Allied fighters to escort bombers all the way to Tokyo, Japan, and back. The escort flights last seven to eight hours. Fifty-four B-29 s land on Iwo Jima during the day.
  • 1945 – 386 carrier aircraft of Task Force 58 attack an Imperial Japanese Navy task force bound for Okinawa while it is steaming in the East China Sea, sinking the battleship Yamato, the light cruiser Yahagi, and four of their eight escorting destroyers. It ends the last offensive sortie by Japanese surface ships of World War II.
  • 1945 – The P-51 s flew for their first mission to Japan. They were escorted by the B-29.
  • 1943 – 177 Japanese Rabaul-based aircraft – 67 Aichi D3 A (Allied reporting name “Val”) dive bombers escorted by 110 Zeroes – conduct the largest Japanese air attack since the attack on Pearl Harbor, targeting U. S. shipping in Ironbottom Sound off Guadalcanal and Tulagi. They sink a U. S. destroyer, a New Zealand corvette, and a U. S. tanker. Seventy-six U. S. fighters intercept the Japanese, losing seven of their number while shooting down 12 Vals and an estimated 27 Zeroes. U. S. Marine Corps Reserve First Lieutenant James E. Swett shoots down seven Japanese aircraft, all Vals, during his flight.
  • 1941 – Entered Service: Douglas Havoc night fighter with No. 85 Squadron, Royal Air Force
  • 1940 – Entered Service: Amiot 354
  • 1924 – Portuguese Commander Brito Pais and Captain Sarmento de Beires depart Lisbon eastbound in the Breguet 16.Bn2 Patria, beginning an attempt to fly around the world. They will crash Patria in India, but will continue in the de Havilland DH.9 A Patria II before being forced to end their attempt in June in Macau.
  • 1922 – In the first mid-air collision of airliners, a Daimler Hire Ltd.-operated de Havilland DH.18 A, G-EAWO, collides with a Compagnie des Grands Express Aériens (CGEA)-operated Farman F.60 Goliath, F-GEAD, over the Thieulloy-St. Antoine road near Picardie, France, killing all seven people on both aircraft; the pilots of both machines were using the road as a route marker in bad weather and poor visibility
  • 1922 – The United States’ Corps Observation Group makes its first patrol, becoming the first American aviation unit to enter action in Europe.
  • 1908 – The members of the Aerial Experiment Association enter a competition sponsored by the Scientific American, which has offered $25,000 for a flight of over 0.62 miles. The Wrights refuse to enter because the rules state the airplane must take off without help.
  • 1906 – Charles Rolls, in his new balloon, races Frank Hedges Butler and friends aboard the Aero Club III. Rolls outdistances his opponents, who come down at Wimbledon, while he lands at Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England.

References

  1. ^ Surk, Barbara, "Syria Airstrikes Launched By Regime, Rebels Warned Via Text Message," April 7, 2013, 2:52 p.m. EDT
  2. ^ Staff (7 April 2011). "Libyan Rebels Near Ajdabiya 'Killed in Nato Air Strike'". BBC News. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  3. ^ "Neue Gaddafi-Taktik erschwert Angriffe der Nato" [Gaddafi makes new tactics of NATO attacks]. Der Spiegel (in German). 4 April 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  4. ^ "Libya: Nato Airstrike 'Kills Rebels in Brega'". The Daily Telegraph. 7 April 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  5. ^ Staff (8 April 2011). "NATO Confirms Its Planes Struck Libyan Rebels". Associated Press (via Fox News). Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  6. ^ Marcel van Leeuwen (2008-12-21). "Boeing F-15 'Eagle'". zap16.com. Retrieved 2010-05-12. USAF F-15C/D's from Al Jaber AB, Kuwait and F-15C/D from Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia flew together with F-15E Strike Eagles combat-missions in Iraq. One F-15E (88-1694/SJ) of 333rd FS, 4th FW from Seymour Johnson AFB, NC was shot-down near Tikrit in Iraq on 6 April 2003, the pilots were Killed in Action.
  7. ^ "Eric Das". Retrieved 2010-05-12. Air Force Maj. William Watkins and Capt. Eric Das, were aboard an F-15E Strike Eagle jet fighter that went down in Iraq around 7:30 p.m. EDT Sunday, April 6
  8. ^ "DOD IDENTIFIES AIR FORCE CASUALTY" (Press release). United States Department of Defense. 2003-04-23. Retrieved 2010-05-12. The Department of Defense announced today that Major William R. Watkins III, 37, of Danville, Virginia, was killed in action April 7, 2003, while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Watkins was assigned to the 333rd Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. Watkins was the weapons system officer of an F-15E that went down April 7, 2003, during a combat mission in Iraq. The incident remains under investigation. The pilot of the F-15E, Captain Eric B. Das, was also killed when the aircraft went down.
  9. ^ Hollway, Don, "'One of My Missiles is Loose!'", Aviation History, March 2013, p. 60.
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