On This Day in History

1999: The X-43A, the world’s first hypersonic air-breathing free-flight vehicle, arrives at Edwards AFB for testing. The X-43 involves Supersonic Combustible Ramjet, or “Scramjet,” technology.

  1944: Lt Chuck Yeager in his P-51 “glamorous Glenn II” downs five of his aerial victories a single engagement.

  PROJECT FARM GATE. President John F. Kennedy authorizes a detachment from the 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron, later part of the 1st Air Commando Group, with 151 officers and enlisted men and eight T-28,

1993: Operation PROVIDE PROMISE. The effort to airlift relief supplies to Bosnia surpasses the Berlin Airlift in duration, but not in tonnage or missions. This makes PROVIDE PROMISE the longest sustained relief operation to that

1918: 2Lt Samuel R. Keesler and pilot 1Lt H.R. Riley of the 24th Aero Squadron go on a special reconnaissance mission and are attacked in flight by four German fighters. Keesler tries to drive off

1918: MEDALS OF HONOR. Near Binarvelle, France, 1Lt Harold E. Goettler with the 50th Aero Squadron and 2Lt Erwin P. Bleckley (Kansas National Guard), flying as an observer, try to drop supplies to a surrounded

1984: FIRST SPACEWALK BY AN AMERICAN WOMAN. During the sixth Challenger Space Shuttle mission, astronauts record several firsts, including the first walk in space by an American woman (Kathryn D. Sullivan, Mission Specialist).

1909: Wilbur Wright flew from Governor’s Island out past the Statue of Liberty, up the Hudson to Grant’s Tomb, and back to the island during New York’s Hudson-Fulton celebration. Wright also adds a canoe to

(Stock photo) 1947: The first flight of North American’s prototype F-86 Sabre (XP-86) at Muroc Dry Lake. See video of first flight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M68-Y9dGQcs

1949: Operation VITTLES. The last flight took place to end the Berlin Airlift, although the main effort ended earlier. Tonnage and passenger reports vary but show that over 2,343,301.5 tons of supplies were carried on