Aviation History

Gary Powers and the U-2 Program

The wreckage of the U-2 flown by Gary Powers over the Soviet Union an downed near Sverdlovsk The Aftermath Of The Downing The CIA's first indication that something was wrong with Power's mission oc...

The Shootdown of Tiger #620

Being a test pilot is a dangerous job sometimes, and unusual events occur on a regular basis. In this case a test pilot shoots himself down but survives.

How To Exit An Aircraft Quickly

Until the closing days of the Second World War the only way to exit a fatally damaged aircraft was to jump through a door or hole, or after removing the canopy to roll the aircraft upside down and ...

A "Ferret" Mission

I had the honor of serving in the USAF from 1960 through 1965 as a Russian Linguist. This was during one of the most interesting periods in the history of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Most c...

Can You Safely Eject From An SR-71 At Speed And Altitude And Survive?

Flying the SR-71 was not only a lot of fun for the pilots but presented them with some real danger should something go wrong. So, could they survive ejecting from an SR-71 at 85,000 feet plus and M...

STS-107 Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster

On January 16, 2003, seven astronauts climbed aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia and launched into space for a seventeen-day mission. Those brave astronauts are pictured and identified below: Front ...

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.