Aviation History

The Day The Music Died

On February 3rd, 1959, three musicians chartered an aircraft from Dwyer Flying Service in Mason City, Iowa, to fly them to Fargo, North Dakota. His passengers were Charles Hardin Holly, also known ...

Walking on Air: The Aerial Adventures of Phoebe Omlie

Walking on Air: The Aerial Adventures of Phoebe Omlie is the story of a young woman who loved flying and survived barnstorming during the 1920s. Her classic act included hanging below the aircraft ...

Jesse Leroy Brown

One of the great things about the United States, despite its difficult past, is that anyone, with determination and self-discipline, can overcome almost any obstacle.  This was most certainly true...

The History Of Pilot Licensing

Flying Becomes A Thing It's September 19, 1783, in Versailles, France, when the Montgolfier brothers, Joseph and Etienne, loaded the wicker basket attached to a cotton canvas balloon named Le Revei...

The First Female Naval Aviator

Barbara Ann Allen Ms. Allen was the daughter of a U.S. Naval Officer and was born at Bethesda Naval Hospital on August 20, 1948. It seems that she was always destined to be a U.S. Navy officer rig...

The "Samoan Clipper"

A new Sikorsky S-42B owned by Pan American Airways begins service across the Pacific between Honolulu and Auckland, New Zealand. Unfortunately, disaster awaited the plane and crew.

Eric Hilliard Nelson

An avoidable accident takes the life of a famous singer, his girlfriend, and his band, all due to poor pilot training.

Mine Is Bigger

After World War II the United States and the Soviet Union became competitors and adversaries, each seeking to outdo the other. In order to ease these tensions, a number of summits were held, which ...

The Father of Alaska Bush Flying

Noel Wien was a pilot and pioneer for aviation in Alaska. Starting from humble beginnings, Noel managed to create the first airline in Alaska and one of the first airlines in the United States. Wei...

The "Skunk Works"

In the past, the U.S. military has called upon companies to design and test the most advanced aircraft in the world. Who Do You Call? During World War II there were a number of aircraft manufacture...

How An Airplane Lands Almost A Day Before It Took Off!

Really?   Well, yes, and this is a true story! Aircraft Lands 17 hours 30 Minutes Before Takeoff What? Has someone built a time machine? No, but it is true, and this is the story as related by the ...

Jackie Moggridge, Spitfire Girl

On March 1, 1922, in Pretoria, South Africa, a young girl named Dolores Theresa Sorour was born. During her childhood, she was taken by the performance of a female hockey player named Jackie Rissik...