In History

Remembering the Defenders: North America’s Military Response to 9/11

September 10, 2016 // 2 Comments

Fifteen years ago on the morning of September 11, a pair of single-seater F-16 Fighting Falcons of the New Jersey Air National Guard were simulating air-to-ground strikes [read more...]

This Was the World’s First Fighter Jet

August 9, 2016 // 3 Comments

It’s a common misconception that the Messerschmitt 262 Schwalbe (Swallow) was the first fighter jet in history, though it certainly was the very first fighter jet to [read more...]

The US Military Planned on Using This Crazy Modified C-130 to Rescue Hostages in Iran

June 28, 2016 // 2 Comments

The early hours of November 4th, 1979 found US Marines guarding the American embassy in Tehran on edge. Armed with M-16A1 rifles and M1911 pistols, they anticipated action [read more...]

Pardo’s Push: An Incredible Story of Bravery and Extraordinary Airmanship

June 20, 2016 // 0 Comments

“When I was on that mission, there was no decision process – no delay – and I attribute that fact to my dad … he taught me that when your friend [read more...]

The Soviets Once Built a Flying Tank

June 2, 2016 // 0 Comments

The words “flying tank” probably conjure mental images of the A-10 Thunderbolt II, a heavily armored gun-toting close air support aircraft that pretty much [read more...]

Air Force One Nearly Had Three Engines Instead of Four

May 19, 2016 // 0 Comments

By the 1980s, the US Air Force’s two-ship fleet of presidential transport aircraft were getting old very quickly. Both VC-137Cs had accumulated significant mileage over [read more...]

The RAF Commemorated the Legendary Dam Busters Raid Today with these Incredible Composite Images

May 16, 2016 // 1 Comment

F-35 “trigger alert”. If mentions of the F-35 offend you, please retreat to your safe space now! No. 617 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was one of the most [read more...]

Neptune Spear and the Crash of Prince 51.

May 2, 2016 // 3 Comments

Five Years Ago Today: One of the most successful special operations missions in history took place. But how it will be remembered is still changing. [read more...]

This is How Soviet Flight Crews Entered the Tu-22

April 7, 2016 // 0 Comments

The Tupolev Tu-22 Blinder might just have been one of the least pilot-friendly aircraft ever built by the Soviet Union in the 1960s, and that’s saying something, [read more...]

This is What It’s Like to be Attacked by SAMs in an F-16

February 23, 2016 // 0 Comments

Ever wonder what it’s like to be painted by surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) while flying inside a fighter jet? This incredible video gives you an idea of what happens [read more...]

73 Years Ago Today: “Secret Operation Z”, The Air Strikes on Pearl Harbor.

by tomdemerly in In History

By Tom Demerly for ALERT 5. 06:14, Hawaii-Aleutian Time Zone (UTC-10:00), 7 December, 1941; 221 miles north of Oahu in the Pacific Ocean. Navigating through a dark, Pacific morning under strict radio silence the Japanese aircraft carriers Zuikaku, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu, Shokaku and task force flagship Akagi came about into the wind on mild seas. [read more...]