How London-Heathrow usurped Croydon Airport and stole its aviation crown
The London borough of Croydon is known for being the most populated area of the capital of the…
Aviation History
238 articles
Explore the captivating history of aviation, from groundbreaking achievements to influential milestones.
35 years ago: How a United Airlines crew landed an ‘unflyable’ DC-10
35 years ago this week, the crew operating a routine transcontinental US passenger service faced a dramatic, unprecedented…
Pan Am to make short-lived return in 2025 as travel firm plans nostalgic flights
A US-based travel agency is planning to revive the Pan American (Pan Am) brand for a short nostalgic…
30 years ago: How a jet flown by King Charles overran a Scottish runway in 1994
On this day 30 years ago, a British Aerospace 146-100 four-engine jet operated by the Royal Air Force…
Awesome at 80: Europe’s last Catalina flying boat remains air show favorite
Flying boats are a rare breed of aircraft these days. Yet while their popularity as versatile flying machines…
From the desert to the world: Marking 40 years since the birth of Emirates
Not only is Emirates one of the world’s leading airlines, but it has also grown to be one…
Restored former Olympic Airways Boeing 727 goes on display in Athens
A Boeing 727 that was left abandoned at an airport that previously served as Athens’ main international gateway…
1969: How three aeronautical milestones in one year changed how we travel by air
Looking back through the past six decades, many milestones in aviation can be identified. From the invention of…
The Aviation Traders Carvair: History’s curious-looking airborne car ferry
It’s now almost 121 years since the Wright Brothers successfully flew the first powered aircraft. Since that momentous…
Learjet embarks on global circumnavigation to raise aircraft restoration funds
On April 3, 2024, a Learjet 36A (with registration N41GJ) embarked on an around-the world trip, with the…
30 Years Ago: How a child’s cockpit visit caused the loss of Aeroflot flight 593
On March 23, 1994, an Aeroflot Airbus A310 crashed in a remote mountainous region of southern Russia, killing…
From small-scale startup to low-cost leviathan – marking 40 years of Ryanair
2024 marks 40 years since the incorporation of Ryanair. Now Europe’s largest airline both in terms of aircraft…
Looking back at Japan’s Kamikaze pilots: history, strategy and downfall
If you’re an aviation geek or enthusiast, chances are you’ve visited several war and aviation museums around the…
New hope last surviving 1950s RAF Blackburn Beverley airlifter won’t be scrapped
A 1950s Royal Air Force (RAF) Blackburn Beverley XB259 airlifter that looked set to be scrapped may have…
‘Society of the snow’: what caused Flight 571 to crash in the Andes?
The tragic story of the 1972 Uruguayan Air Force chartered flight that crash-landed in the Andes is one…
Exploration team uses sonar to find what could be Amelia Earhart’s lost plane
A sonar signature picked up in the South Pacific Ocean may correspond to Amelia Earhart’s lost aircraft, according…
35 years ago: The British Midland Airways Boeing 737-400 Kegworth air disaster
January 2024 marks 35 years to the month of the British Midland Airways Kegworth air disaster in Leicestershire,…
50 years ago, the F-16 Fighting Falcon took off for the first time… by accident
The first flight of the iconic F-16 Fighting Falcon, initially scheduled for February 2, 1974, took an unexpected…