Celebrating 75 years of the Kangaroo Route: Qantas services to London
75 years ago, Qantas launched its own iconic route, now one of the world’s key air journeys: the…
Aviation History
216 articles
Explore the captivating history of aviation, from groundbreaking achievements to influential milestones.
On this day: The crash of South African Airlines flight 295
During the early hours of November 28, 1987, communication with South African Airlines (SAA) flight SA295, registration ZS-SAS,…
How one elusive man changed aircraft design: The D.B. Cooper story
Hijackings are now considered a rare occurrence. Unfortunately, during the 20th century, they were much more common compared…
The story of Qantas: from Queensland to the world
On November 16, 1920, Paul McGinness, Hudson Fysh and Fergus McMaster, three World War One veterans, founded ‘Queensland…
On this day: The crash of Continental Airlines flight 1713
On November 15, 1987, Continental Airlines flight CO1713, registration N626TX, crashed upon take-off from Stapleton International Airport in…
On this day: The crash of Alitalia flight 404
32 years ago, Alitalia (AZA) flight 404 from Milan Linate (LIN), Italy crashed into Stadlerberg Mountain while on…
On this day: The crash of American Airlines Flight 587
Twenty-one years ago, American Airlines (A1G) (AAL) flight 587, a routine passenger flight from New York to the…
What happened to Braniff Airways?
In 1970, Braniff International Airways accepted delivery of the 100th Boeing 747, the first of 12 in its…
Qantas celebrates its centenary with an historic flight
A century after the first customer and a bag of letters made their way over the Queensland outback,…
Air India: the crashes on Mont Blanc
Seventy-two years ago, on November 3, 1950, Air India Flight 245 was cruising over the Alps with 40…
50 years after his death, Sikorsky endures as the father of the helicopter
On this day in 1972, world renowned aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky passed away. Known as the father of…
5,500 miles: the first non-stop trans-pacific flight
Today, flying across the Pacific takes around nine hours, with multiple airlines to choose from and has become…
The Montgolfier Brothers: Pioneers of Ballooning
On September 19, 1783, the Montgolfier brothers launched their Aérostat Réveillon hot air balloon. The flight was the…
How aviation changed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II
The 70 years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II have seen groundbreaking advances in aviation technology. As…
Qantas, 1989: The first non-stop flight from Britain to Australia
Thirty-three years ago today, in August 1989, Qantas’s new flagship Boeing 747-400 achieved a new milestone in aviation…
On this day: The maiden flight of the de Havilland Comet
On July 27, 1949, the de Havilland Comet prototype flew for the first time, taking to the sky…
History Hour: Flying the Channel: Louis Blériot
On the morning of July 25, 1909, Louis Blériot landed at Northfall Meadow near Dover Castle, England. A…
A brief history of long-haul flights
Flying has come a long way since the first scheduled passenger flight. On New Year’s Day in 1914,…