On This Day in History

1985:   Exercise BRAVE DEFENDER. Thru 14 September, the British hold their first off-post national ground defense exercise, with the United States Air Forces in Europe participating. 

1923:   Army bombing tests off Cape Hatteras, NC sink the condemned naval vessels USS New Jersey and USS Virginia, showing vulnerability of naval ships to aerial attack.

1922:   Lt James H. Doolittle completes the 1st transcontinental flight in one day in a rebuilt DH-4B with Liberty 400 HP engines, 2,163 miles in 21 hours, 20 minutes. He makes one refueling stop of

1996:   The 11th Reconnaissance Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nevada begins operating the Predator unmanned aerial vehicle above Bosnia-Herzegovina.

1955:   The first Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker the “City of Renton” flies its maiden flight.

2005:   HURRICANE KATRINA. Air National Guard personnel log 600 rescues in one day after Hurricane Katrina makes landfall on the Gulf Coast.

1952:   KOREAN WAR SORTIE RECORD. Far East Air Forces fighter-bombers set a new 24-hour record by sending 854 Fifth Air Force sorties against Pyongyang, N. Korea.

1942:   The War Department directs the Air Transport Command to provide aircraft and equipment to evacuate sick and wounded American servicemen and women throughout the world.

  1941: William R. Dunn, flying with RAF 71 Squadron (Eagle Squadron ), shoots down his fifth enemy plane to become the first American “Ace” in Europe. He served in Europe, Burma, and China, and

1970:   Two HH-53s complete the 1st nonstop transpacific helicopter flight as they land at Da Nang AB, South Vietnam, after a 9,000-mile flight from Eglin AFB, FL.