Aviation History

Hero of the Soviet Union

Andrey Borisovich Yumashev, pilot and military veteran, set a number of aviation records in the mid-1930s and thrusting the USSR into the limelight of aviation feats. His reward: He was made a Hero...

The Death Dodger Pilot

This is the story of The Death Dodger Pilot, A. Scott Crossfield Jr. He became the first man to fly an airplane at twice the speed of sound (Mach 2), and had an illustrious career in aviation as bo...

The "Ace of Aces"

During World War II the air war was necessary to win to protect the troops on the ground. Of the many pilots swho became Aces (pilot with 5 or more aerial combat victories) arose a phenomenal pilot...

Twenty-Three Days In The Air

In 1930 four brothers worked together to set a world endurance record for flying an airplane non-stop for 553 hours, 41 minutes and 30 seconds in a 1927 Stinson SM-1 "Detroiter" aircraft.

Helicopters Over Vietnam

On Novmber 9, 1967, a rescue helicopter crew heard a call for help while on their way back to base. Tired, weary, and heading home, the crew decided it was more important to help their fellow soldi...

Byron Q. Jones Aviator and Inventor

Byron Quinby Jones was a major contributer to the begginings of the U.S. Air Force starting back in 1913. Among his many accomplishments were to be the first military pilot to stall an aircraft and...

The Wild Weasel III

The F-105G Wild Weasels provide highly effective in suppressing SAM and AAA sites in North Vietnam, but not without a cost. The Wild Weasel crews were under constant danger from SAM missles and Fla...

The Hegenberger System

A young aeronautical engineering US Army Air Corps pilot devised an ingenious system to guide aircraft down through inlement weather to a safe landing. His system was called the "Hegenberger System...

A Skunk Of A Different Kind!

Aviation history is replete with incredible men and women who brought to life the amazing world of aviation. Among them was an incredible aeronautical engineeer who designed and built some of the m...

The Disappearance of the "Lady Be Good"

On April 4, 1943, a Consolidated B-24D Liberator with a crew of 9 departed an airfield in Libya on a night mission to bomb Naples, Italy. Discover the story of how the aircraft and crew disappeared...

Operation Baby Lift

Operation Baby Lift was a humanitarian effort undertaken by the US government to save South Vietnamese orphans from the North Vietnamese. Like so many other government programs, this one did not en...

The History Of Mountaineering and Aviation

In 1933 a British Expedition to photograph Mount Everest from an airplane was undertaken to map the mountain to help determine a possible route to the summit. It required exceptional pilots and air...