The Story of Flight
93 milestones, in order
QANTAS Introduces Service
On November 2, 1922, QANTAS (Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services) launched Australia’s first scheduled air service.
Gigantic Spruce Goose Flies
The origins of the Spruce Goose lay in the desperate strategic circumstances of early 1942, when German U-boats were sinking Allied mer
Convair B-36 Peacemaker
The Convair B-36 was a massive intercontinental strategic bomber developed for the U.S.
DC-6 Introduced
On February 15, 1946, Douglas Aircraft introduced the DC-6, a new four-engine passenger aircraft developed from the wartime DC-4.
Gloster Meteor World Speed Record
The Gloster Meteor was Britain's first operational jet fighter and the only Allied jet to see combat in the Second World War.
Republic F-84 Thunderjet
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an early American jet fighter that first flew as the prototype XP-84 on February 28, 1946, with Major
B-47 Enters Service
On December 17, 1947 — the 44th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' first flight at Kitty Hawk, a date the Boeing company almost certai
Bell X-1 Breaks the Sound Barrier
On the morning of October 14, 1947, Captain Charles "Chuck" Yeager of the United States Army Air Forces climbed into the cockpit of a s
Convair 240
The Convair 240 was a twin-engine, propeller-driven airliner introduced by Consolidated Vultee Aircraft (Convair) in the late 1940s.
Last DC-3 Produced
On March 21, 1947, the Douglas Aircraft Company completed production of the legendary Douglas DC-3, one of the most influential aircraf
Berlin Airlift
In 1948 the Soviet Union imposed a blockade on the Allied sectors of Berlin, which lay deep within Soviet-occupied East Germany, cuttin
Soviets Introduce the MiG-15
In 1948, the Soviet Union unveiled the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, a swept-wing jet fighter that stunned Western military analysts and fun
Comet — First Commercial Jet
On July 27, 1949, the de Havilland DH.106 Comet made its maiden flight from Hatfield Aerodrome in Hertfordshire, England, lifting off i
Non-Stop Around-the-World Flight
On March 2, 1949, a United States Air Force Boeing B-50A Superfortress named *Lucky Lady II* lifted off from Carswell Air Force Base in
North American F-86 Sabre
The North American Aviation F-86 Sabre was the United States' first operational swept-wing jet fighter, entering service in 1949.
Stratocruiser Goes Into Service
On April 1, 1949, Pan American World Airways inaugurated commercial service with the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, launching the new aircra
Air War Over Korea
On the first day of the war the US airforce shot down seven North Korean aircraft.
Super Constellation Tested
On October 13, 1950, Lockheed unveiled the L-1049 Super Constellation, an extensively stretched and refined development of its celebrat
U.S. Orders B-52 Bombers
On March 1, 1951, the United States Air Force placed its production order with Boeing for the B-52 Stratofortress, the eight-engine swe
The de Havilland Comet Crashes
The de Havilland Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner, entering service in 1952 and offering passengers unprecedented sp
DC-7 Introduced
On May 18, 1953, Douglas Aircraft introduced the DC-7, the final and most refined expression of the great piston-engine airliner lineag
Super Sabre Introduced
On May 25, 1953, North American Aviation test pilot George Welch — a veteran of Pearl Harbor who had been one of the few American pilot
Boeing Unveils the 707
On July 15, 1954, Boeing's prototype jet transport — initially designated the Model 367-80, universally known as the Dash 80 — took to
F-104 Makes Its Debut
On January 7, 1954, Lockheed unveiled the XF-104 Starfighter at its Burbank, California facility, introducing the world to an aircraft
Lockheed Introduces the YC-130
On August 23, 1954, the prototype Lockheed YC-130 Hercules made its maiden flight from Lockheed's facility in Burbank, California, pilo
Soviets Introduce the MiG-19
In 1954, the Soviet Union unveiled the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19, the first Soviet aircraft capable of supersonic flight in level conditi
Mirage Unveiled
**The Dassault Mirage: France's Supersonic Marvel** On June 25, 1955, Marcel Dassault unveiled the prototype of what would become one o
Tupolev TU-104 Introduced
On June 17, 1955, test pilot Yu.
707 Service Across the Atlantic
On the evening of October 26, 1958 departing late at night and arriving in Paris on October 27 Pan American World Airways Flight 114, o
Pan Am Inaugurates 707 Service
Pan Am launched the era of transatlantic jet service on October 26, 1958, with the first commercial flight of a Boeing 707 from Idlewil
Caravelle Introduced
On May 9, 1959, the French aircraft manufacturer Sud Aviation — later to become part of Aérospatiale — inaugurated commercial service w
Convair F-106 Delta Dart
The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was a supersonic, all-weather interceptor built for the United States Air Force.
F-106 Delta Dart World Speed Record
On December 15, 1959, the United States Air Force set a new world absolute speed record with the Convair F-106 Delta Dart.
F-106 Delta Dart World Speed Record
On December 15, 1959, the United States Air Force set a new world absolute speed record using the Convair F-106 Delta Dart.
X-15 Makes Its First Flight
On September 17, 1959, test pilot Scott Crossfield took the North American X-15 rocket-powered research aircraft on its first powered f
Grumman E-2 Hawkeye
The Grumman E-2 Hawkeye is a carrier-based airborne early warning and control aircraft developed for the United States Navy.
Hawker Siddeley P.1127 and Vertical Takeoff Flight
In 1960 the Hawker Siddeley company unveiled the P.1127, an experimental aircraft designed to combine vertical takeoff and landing capa
Planes Collide Over New York
On December 16, 1960, a United Airlines Douglas DC-8 jet and a TWA Lockheed Super Constellation collided in heavy snow over the borough
F-4 Phantom Unveiled
The F-4 Phantom II entered United States Navy service in 1961 as the premier carrier-based fleet defense fighter, its enormous twin Gen
John Glenn Circles the Earth
On February 20, 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, a milestone that transformed the United States space pro
Last Bendix Race Won by a B-58
On March 5, 1962, a Convair B-58 Hustler set a transcontinental speed record in what proved to be the final running of the Bendix Troph
Lockheed A-12 and the SR-71 Blackbird
On April 26, 1962, the first flight took place of a revolutionary Mach 3 reconnaissance aircraft developed in secret by Lockheed's Skun
Sikorsky Skycrane Helicopter
On May 9, 1962, the Sikorsky company began flight testing its new heavy-lift helicopter, the S-64 Skycrane, at Stratford, Connecticut.
Vickers VC10
The Vickers VC10 was a British long-range jet airliner that flew for the first time on June 29, 1962.
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 made its first flight on February 9, 1963.
General Dynamics F-111
The General Dynamics F-111 was a long-range, variable-geometry combat aircraft unveiled at Fort Worth, Texas, in 1964.
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 first flew on April 9, 1967.
Six-Day War Air Campaign
The 1967 Six-Day War opened with one of the most decisive air operations in military history.
Lockheed C-5 Galaxy
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is one of the largest military aircraft ever built, designed to give the United States Air Force a true strateg
Concorde Supersonic Transport
Concorde was a supersonic passenger airliner developed jointly by the British and French aerospace industries, the product of a landmar
First 747 Flown
On Februay 9th, 1969 the first Boeing 747 took off on a test flight.
Grumman F-14 Tomcat
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat made its first flight on December 21, 1970, and was developed to serve as the U.S.
Lockheed L-1011 TriStar
The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar made its first flight on November 16, 1970.
McDonnell Douglas DC-10
The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 was a wide-body jet airliner that made its first flight in 1970.
Airbus A300
The Airbus A300 was the first aircraft produced by Airbus, the European aircraft consortium, and was unveiled on October 28, 1972.
Air War of the Yom Kippur War
In October 1973, the armies of Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, opening a war
McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine air superiority fighter developed for the United States Air Force, conceived during a
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter that made its first flight in 1974.
Rockwell B-1 Lancer
The B-1 was a long-range strategic bomber developed for the U.S.
SR-71 Blackbird Transatlantic Speed Record
On September 1, 1974, a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird set a transatlantic speed record, flying from New York to London in roughly one hour a
Boeing 747SP
Boeing unveiled the 747SP in 1975 as a specialized variant of its giant 747 jumbo jet.
Boeing 747SP
Boeing unveiled the 747SP in 1975 as a specialized long-range derivative of its 747 jumbo jet.
Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, widely nicknamed the "Warthog," entered service with the U.S.
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas (later Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet is a twin-engine, carrier-capable combat aircraft developed for the United States Na
Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 was a narrow-body, twin-engine jetliner developed by the Boeing Company in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Pan Am Acquires National Airlines
In 1980 Pan American World Airways acquired National Airlines, completing a takeover that had been the subject of a competitive bidding
Airbus A310
The Airbus A310 made its maiden flight on April 3, 1982.
Antonov An-124 Heavy Transport
The Soviet Union unveiled the giant Antonov An-124 strategic airlifter in 1982.
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 was a wide-body, twin-engine jetliner introduced by Boeing in the early 1980s, with the first aircraft delivered in 1982
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 made its first flight in 1987 and entered service the following year.
F-117 Nighthawk Stealth Fighter
The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was the world's first operational aircraft designed from the outset around stealth technology, intended to
Boeing 747-400
The Boeing 747-400 was an advanced development of the iconic 747 "Jumbo Jet," entering service in 1989.
Northrop B-2 Spirit
The B-2 Spirit is a stealth strategic bomber built by Northrop (later Northrop Grumman) for the U.S.
McDonnell Douglas MD-11
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was a long-range, wide-body trijet airliner that made its first flight on January 10, 1990.
Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large, four-engine military transport aircraft developed for the United States Air Force.
Pan Am Ceases Operations
On December 4, 1991, Pan American World Airways ceased operations when its last flight, arriving at Miami International Airport from Ba
Persian Gulf War Air Campaign
The 1991 Persian Gulf War opened with a massive air campaign against Iraq.
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twinjet developed by Boeing in the early 1990s.
Boeing Acquires McDonnell Douglas
In 1997 the Boeing Company completed its acquisition of McDonnell Douglas, combining two of the largest aerospace firms in the United S
September 11, 2001 Attacks
On the morning of September 11, 2001, members of the al-Qaeda terrorist network hijacked four U.S.
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 made its first test flight on April 27, 2005.
Delta and Northwest Airlines Bankruptcies
On September 14, 2005, Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines both filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on the same day, a striki
US Airways and America West Combine
The announcement on May 19, 2005 that US Airways and America West Airlines would merge marked a turning point for two carriers each fac
Boeing 787 Dreamliner
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a wide-body, long-range twinjet that Boeing publicly rolled out on July 8, 2008, and which received FAA ce
Second New 737 Max 8 Crashs
On March 10, 2019, an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Abbas to Nairobi crashed moments after taking off.
Air War Over Vietnam
The air war over Vietnam was one of the longest and most intense aerial campaigns of the Cold War.
Dassault Mystère
The Dassault Mystère was an early French jet fighter developed by Marcel Dassault's aircraft company in the years following the Second
Douglas DC-9
The Douglas DC-9 was a twin-engine, short-to-medium-range jet airliner unveiled in the mid-1960s.
Douglas Introduces the DC-8
The DC-8's development had been agonizingly slow by the standards of a company that had produced the DC-3, DC-6, and DC-7 in rapid succ
Hawker Siddeley Trident
The Hawker Siddeley Trident was a British short- to medium-haul jet airliner that first emerged in the early 1960s.
Israel Routs Syria over Lebanon
In the course of Israel's war In Lebanon it became involved in an intense two day war with Syria.
Martin B-57 Canberra
The B-57 was a twin-engine jet bomber operated by the U.S.
U-2 Tested
The U-2 — designated with the deliberately bland "U" for "utility" to disguise its true purpose — was built at Johnson's semi-secret Sk