October 19, 2020
1968: Maj William J. Knight receives the Harmon International Aviator’s Trophy for 1968 as the world’s outstanding pilot for flying X-15 No. 2 to 4,520 MPH (Mach 6.72).
October 16, 1972
1972: The USAF flies its A-7D Corsair II in combat for the first time. A-7s assigned to the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing deployed from Myrtle Beach AFB to Korat AB, Thailand, six days
October 15, 2000
2000: MACKAY TROPHY/ATTACK ON THE USS COLE. Crews from the 75th Airlift Squadron and 86th Aeromedical Squadron receive the trophy for evacuating 28 survivors of a 12 October terrorist attack on the USS Cole in
October 14, 1981
1981: Tinker AFB deploys two E-3A Sentry AWACS aircraft to Egypt to help preserve calm after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat.
October 13, 1972
1972: MACKAY TROPHY. F-4 weapon system officer Capt Jeffrey S. Feinstein shoots down his fifth MiG-21 to become the third and final USAF ace of the Vietnam War.
October 12, 1998
1998: The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, 403rd Wing (AFRC), at Keesler AFB receives the USAF’s first WC-130J Hercules aircraft.
October 9, 2001
2001: Operation EAGLE ASSIST. NATO deploys AWACS aircraft to the US to help patrol American airspace, a first deployment of NATO forces to the US in a real contingency.
October 8, 1940
1940: The Royal Air Force forms 71 (Eagle) Squadron, the first of three Fighter Command squadrons composed principally of volunteer US pilots flying with the RAF. On 29 September 1942, pilots in this unit
October 7, 1964
1964: The SYNCOM III communications link from Tokyo to Point Mugu, generally regarded as the first geostationary satellite, begins transmitting to US television stations.
October 6, 1918
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