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 // 2 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...]

The F-8 Crusader Once Scared a Vietnamese MiG Pilot Into Ejecting Before a Dogfight

by Ian D'Costa in Vultures Row

Every fighter pilot out there just wants to fly an aircraft so badass that nobody dares tangle with it (or them by extension). But there’s a secret part of them that hungers for the fight that their jet was built for. Naval aviators privileged with flying the F-8 Crusader were given a fairly badass jet, albeit one with an astonishingly high [read more...]