John Glenn: July 1921 – December 2016.
By Tom Demerly for TACAIRNET.com Astronaut and test pilot John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth, has died at age 95. Throughout his life John Glenn typified the [read more...]
NASA
America Deployed its Best Fighter to Cover the Pope’s Tour of the Country
When you have one of the most important dignitaries in the world visiting your country, who also happens to be the beloved head of a church with more than a [read more...]
Crash of The Valkyrie.
09:26, 8 June 1966. General Electric Aerial Publicity Photo Shoot. Flight Level 320, 17 Miles northeast of Barstow, California. “MIDAIR! MIDAIR!” Air Force T-38 pilot, [read more...]
68 Years Ago Today: Chuck Yeager Breaks the Sound Barrier.
By Tom Demerly for ALERT 5. When a manned aircraft approaches the speed of the sound it is thought to reach an invisible barrier. A barrier defined by physics. An [read more...]
47 Years Ago Today: The Fastest Manned Aircraft Flight Ever.
By Tom Demerly for ALERT 5. It flew at nearly Mach 7, seven times the speed of sound and twice the speed of a rifle bullet. The speed record it set 47 years ago today still [read more...]
Spinning Tomcats
Early F-14 Tomcats had serious issues with maneuverability, especially during close-in engagements or dogfights. When the aircraft was positioned at a high angle of attack, [read more...]
XFV-12
Here’s a riddle for you: It starts like a Skyhawk, turns into a Phantom and finishes off like a Starship. Any guesses? If you were as confused as I thought you’d [read more...]
First full-throttle flight of the X-15
On this day in 1961 Major Robert White piloted the X-15 on its first full-throttle flight, reaching a speed of 3,074 miles per hours at an altitude of 79,000 feet before [read more...]
Apollo 13 Splashdown
On this day in history, the Apollo 13 command module finally splashed down in the Pacific Ocean southwest of American Samoa. Its crew were picked up by the recovery ship, USS [read more...]
STS-1 Returns To Earth
On this day in 1981, the Space Shuttle Columbia landed at Edwards Air Force Base after completing a 54.5 hour, 37 orbit maiden flight. Commanded by John Young and piloted by [read more...]
