#Aviation

News | News

Has Amelia Earhart’s plane really been found? 6 key things to know

A new grainy sonar image claims to solve the mystery of the famed aviator’s disappearance, but experts say it’s too soon to tell. Here's what we do know.

History | History

P-51D Mustang: I Say This Is the Best Fighter Plane Ever

P-51 Mustang pilots shot down a total of 4,950 enemy aircraft, while more than 250 of its pilots achieved ace status and had an average rate of 7.69 air-to-air kills.

History | History

Life as a Ball Turret Gunner in World War Two

Serving on a bomber in World War Two was almost a guaranteed death sentence. Depending on the unit and time of the war, US bomber crews could experience anywhere from 50% to just over 70% of their personnel becoming killed, missing, or taken prisoner. Wit

News | News

F-15EX Eagle II: The Fighter The Air Force Needs Has Now 'Arrived'

The F-15EX Eagle II made its inaugural appearance in St. Louis this week, a significant milestone for the Air Force. Once in service, the new formidable platform will represent the most heavily armed fighter jet in the skies. 

Miscellaneous | Miscellaneous

SR-71 Blackbird Pilot recalls When He Buzzed the Tower of Sacramento Airport with the Afterburners Lit

‘“Beautiful, beautiful, come back and do another one,” the tower controller said,’ Maury Rosenberg, SR-71 Blackbird pilot.

Travel | Travel

The Boeing 747 Might Be Gone, but It's Not Forgotten

The last Boeing 747 rolled off the assembly line on December 6, 2022 destined for Atlas Air Cargo Learn the history of the famous airplane, plus where you can still encounter one.

Miscellaneous | Miscellaneous

B-52: The Air Force Bomber That Could Fly for 100 Years?

Even after nearly 70 years in service, the United States Air Force's B-52 Stratofortress remains the workhorse of the bomber fleet.

History | History

P-51 Mustang: The World War II Fighter That Changed Everything - 19FortyFive

During the Second World War, P-51 Mustang pilots shot down a total of 4,950 enemy aircraft while more than 250 pilots achieved “ace” status. 

History | History

Meet the F6F Hellcat: One of the Best Fighter Planes of World War II

It was the F6F Hellcat fighter plane that finally gave U.S. Navy aviators the upper hand against Imperial Japan's Zeros.

History | History

Supermarine Spitfire: I Sat in One of the Best World War II Fighters

Of all the fighter planes in the illustrious history of Great Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF), there is little doubt that the WWII-era Supermarine Spitfire is the most famous of the bunch

History | History

The Spiteful Was Better Than the Spitfire, But Even That Wasn't Good Enough

The Supermarine Spiteful was fast, but it arrived too late for World War II.

Science & Technology | TECH

F-22 Test Pilot Details The Raptor’s Incredible Speed

A chief test pilot on both the F-117 and the F-22, James “JB” Brown III, provides a fascinating inside look at these remarkable stealth jets.

News | News

Private Boeing 747 With Just Over 50 Flight Hours Scrapped

The airliner intended for the late Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia sat in Switzerland for a decade.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

This Plane Hit Mach 6.7: Meet the North American X-15

The X-15's greatest legacy is in how it helped spearhead research in a variety of areas including hypersonic aerodynamics.

History | History

A detailed account of the restoration of B-26 Marauder ‘Flak-Bait’, the Only US warplane to Survive 200 Bombing Missions

A detailed account of the restoration of B-26 Marauder ‘Flak-Bait’, the Only US warplane to Survive 200 Bombing Missions during World War II

Miscellaneous | Miscellaneous

Russia vs. Ukraine: A War in the Sky Like No Other

The world’s air forces will study what’s happening in and over Ukraine during this war and surely come to some important conclusions.

Miscellaneous | Miscellaneous

The Rise and Fall of Concorde, the Midcentury Supersonic Jetliner That Still Inspires Awe Today

The popularity of the phrase 'style over substance' has encouraged us to assume an inherent and absolute divide between those concepts. But as the most ambitious works of man remind us, style pushed to its limits its substance, and vice versa.

Miscellaneous | Interesting Links

B-21: How the Raider Stealth Bomber Could Change Everything

The B-21 will be able to sneak close to China and Russia should it be needed in a future conflict and deliver its munitions with ease.

Miscellaneous | Interesting Links

Watch a WWII P-51S Mustang and Stealth F-22 Fly Together - 19FortyFive

It isn't every day most people will have a chance to see a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and World War II P-51D Mustang fly together.

Science & Technology | Tech News

Lockheed Martin lifts lid on Top Gun's Darkstar hypersonic jet concept

Lauded for its compelling action sequences and exhilarating portrayal of next-gen aerial dogfighting, Top Gun: Maverick has quickly become a monumental success at the box office. But the producers couldn't have done it without leveraging the expertis

Entertainment | Movies & Other Stuff

Top Gun: Maverick Mystery - The F-35 Is Missing in a Big Way

Top Gun: Maverick is breaking box office records, and yet, many military experts keep asking why the F-35 wasn't the star fighter plane.

Entertainment | Film

3 Good Reasons Why The F-35 Was Not Featured In Top Gun: Maverick

In reality, if the F-35 had been the centerpiece of Top Gun, it would have made for an entirely different and possibly boring movie.

History | History

The Legendary B-25 Mitchell Bomber: The First of the Flying Gunships

During the Second World War, the North American B-25 Mitchell bomber struck back at Japan when the Allies were losing the war.

Science & Technology | Science

AI powers breakthrough in faster-than-sound jet engines

New research using AI is streamlining simulations of hypersonic aircraft engines, which have defense and commercial applications.

News | News

That Time a Marine Mechanic Took a Joyride in a Stolen A4M Skyhawk

How much could a Marine Corps fighter cost?

News | News

Marine Corps' Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum to Close Permanently

The service plans to shutter its only museum dedicated solely to aviation on March 28.

Science & Technology | Technology

The Air Force Secretly Designed, Built, and Flew a Brand-New Fighter Jet

The Air Force has secretly designed, built, and flown a brand-new fighter jet. The mysterious new plane is already breaking records. Here's everything we know.

Miscellaneous | Miscellaneous

Chuck Yeager's Amazing Life Told Through The Airplanes He Flew

Chuck Yeager is among the most famous aviators of all time. The airplane was his brush, the sky his canvas, and flying was his art.

History | History

Chuck Yeager: Broken Ribs, Broom Handles, and Glamorous Glen. The Unbelievable True Story Of The Hero Who Broke The Sound Barrier

At the age of 97, retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General pilot Chuck Yeager died on December 7th 2020. His wife, Victoria Yeager, announced his passing.

News | News

Chuck Yeager, US test pilot and 1st to break sound barrier, dies at 97

Born in West Virginia in 1923, Yeager rose to fame as a fighter pilot in World War II and, in 1947, was the first person to break the sound barrier.

History | History

How the P-47 Thunderbolt Helped Win World War II - InsideHook

The P-47 Thunderbolt was an essential part of the Allied effort in World War II. Its design made it a versataile craft and useful in a number of situations.

History | History

A World War II Veteran Recalls Shooting Down Nazis In His P-38 Lightning

Jim Kunkle did it all. He flew the Lightning. He shot down German fighters. He earned America’s second highest award for valor in battle.

History | History

Why Chuck Yeager Might Be the Greatest Pilot of All Time

Before Yeager did it, people thought it was impossible to break the sound barrier in flight. So how did he do it? And what other amazing feats did he accomplish?

Science & Technology | Tech News

An Air Force One that flies at five times the speed of sound?

US aviation start-ups Exosonic and Hermeus have been awarded contracts to develop supersonic and hypersonic planes that could be used as Air Force One

News | In The News

This Supercut Of The Blue Angels And Thunderbirds ‘America Strong’ Flyover Is A Must Watch

Watch America's top jet demonstration teams soar together over the Big Apple like never before.

News | News

Watch: Pilot lands 394-ton A380 sideways as Storm Dennis rages

The Etihad Airways A380 from Abu Dhabi was forced into a special manoeuvre when landing at Heathrow due to strong crosswinds.

Science & Technology | Israeli Innovation

Israeli algorithm aids safe landing if plane engine fails

Technion-Israel Institute of Technology developed software monitors a plane’s trajectory and guides it to the best alternative landing strip.

Miscellaneous | Stuff I Like

Concorde's last flight: Is this the greatest aviation photograph of all time?

In 2003, Lewis Whyld took an instantly classic photograph of the Concorde on its last flight, soaring over the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, United Kingdom.

Miscellaneous | Interesting Links

Could a Boeing 737 Land on an Aircraft Carrier?

Could a Boeing 737 land on an aircraft carrier? It seems like an absolutely crazy question...
An empty Boeing 737 weighs 75,000 pounds, has a wingspan of 112 feet, typically lands at 178 miles per...

News | In The News

What Really Happened to Malaysia’s Missing Airplane - The Atlantic

Five years ago, the flight vanished into the Indian Ocean. Officials on land know more about why than they dare to say.

History | History

'Rare' WWII bomber lifted from sea 75 years after crash - BBC News

The Fairey Barracuda Torpedo Bomber was discovered by electrical engineers surveying the seabed.

Miscellaneous | Other Kinds of Whatnot

Why One Man Has Spent Years Building a Boeing 777 Out of Paper | WIRED

It might not fly, but Luca Iaconi-Stewart's ultimate paper Boeing 777 does have retractable landing gear and more than 300 tiny seats.

News | The News

How the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet Made Air Travel Affordable | Inverse

On September 30, 1968, the first Boeing 747 was built, a wide-body "jumbo jet" that, at the time, became the largest civilian airplane in the world. Most US airlines have retired their 747s, marking the end of an era, but the Boeing helped make

Science & Technology | Tech

US F-22s came face-to-face with Russia's top fighter near Alaska and were at a major disadvantage

If a fight were to start during an intercept like the one this week, the Russian pilot would have the huge advantage of having the F-22 in sight. What's more, the Russian Su-35 can maneuver better than the F-22.

History | History

Boy finds WWII plane with pilot's remains in cockpit

The wreck of a German World War II plane with the remains of the pilot in the cockpit has been discovered in northern Jutland, Denmark. The plane is thought to be a Messerschmitt.

Politics | Politics

Why Israel Prefers Old F-15s to F-35s

The Israeli Air Force needs long-range aircraft that can carry a lot of fuel and weapons, because of Iran.

Science & Technology | Tech

F-35s in Japan are still losing dogfights to F-15s sometimes — here's why

F-35s focus on stealth, not dogfighting. "If you get into a dogfight with the F-35, somebody made a mistake. It's like having a knife fight in a phone booth."

History | History

Have we really found Amelia Earhart's bones? | Science | The Guardian

A new study claims that the Nikumaroro Island bones are those of the famous aviator. But some researchers remain skeptical

News | Interesting Stories

Amelia Earhart mystery solved? Scientist '99 percent' sure bones found belong to aviator | Fox News

A scientific study claims to shed new light on the decades-long mystery of what happened to Amelia Earhart.

Miscellaneous | OTHER STUFF

Riding a Wild Wind, a Norwegian 787 Breaks a Speed Record | WIRED

A 200-mph jet stream has sent several passenger jets to nearly 800 mph, and helped break a (subsonic) speed record.

History | History

Newly discovered photo suggests Amelia Earhart survived crash-landing

The photo, found in the National Archives, shows a woman who resembles famed aviator Amelia Earhart and a man who appears to be her navigator, Fred Noonan.

Miscellaneous | Other Kinds of Whatnot

Badass Dutch king has secretly been an airline pilot for 21 years

Being a monarch is tough — all the responsibilities and socializing stuff — but one particular king found the time cultivate a secret, part-time job ... for 21 years.

News | Interesting Stories

Science may have solved the Amelia Earhart mystery

Legendary aviator Amelia Earhart was attempting to become the first female pilot to fly around the world when her plane disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937. Last month, the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) proposed the t

Miscellaneous | Interesting Links

Vintage aviation photos: 'Mad Men' meets 'Airplane!' - CNN.com

The staff at AirlineRatings.com have gathered these vintage aviation photos that recall a golden era of aviation.

Entertainment | Entertain Me

'Top Gun' Sequel to Put Maverick in the Pilot's Seat Again

The 'Top Gun 2' producers also revealed they would tackle the increased use of unmanned drones in military aviation.

Politics | From CNN

787 Dreamliner has amazing rehearsal for Paris Air Show - CNN.com

(CNN)There's a famous quote: "If you did it, it ain't braggin'." Boeing did it -- in front of a camera. An eyepopping rehearsal video Boeing released Thursday shows off its newest version of the Dreamliner aircraft — the 787-9 — performing some impressive and beautiful banks and ascents.

Science & Technology | Science

Every Ship That Has Carried Humans Into Space, In One Chart

Space is big, humans are small, and spacecrafts, well, vary more in size than you might think. Redditor Heaney555 has compiled an a chart, to scale, of every rocket, spacecraft, and space station involved in human spaceflight. And man, Saturn V is huuuuuu

History | History

Report points to photo as possible new clue to Amelia Earhart's fate

A recently surfaced photo of Amelia Earhart’s plane, captured by the Miami Herald in 1937, could offer crucial evidence regarding the famous aviator’s disappearance.