May 15, 1963
LAST MERCURY FLIGHT. After 22-orbits around earth, Maj L. Gordon Cooper ends a 34-hour, 20-minute flight in Mercury capsule Faith 7 before landing in the Pacific, 80 miles southeast of Midway Island. He was the […]
May 12, 1949
1949: BERLIN AIRLIFT ENDS. The Soviet Union ends the blockade after delivery of 2,325,510 tons on 277,569 missions.
May 11, 1964
1964: Jackie Cochran becomes 1st woman to fly more than Mach 2, 1,429 MPH in an F-104G at Edwards AFB.
May 10, 1942
1942: The carrier USS Ranger, off the African Gold Coast, launches 60 USAAF P-40s to Accra.
May 9, 1978
1978: McDonnell Douglas delivers the 5,000th F-4 Phantom built to the Air Force. This date is disputed: some sources say May 24th.
May 8, 1970
MACKAY TROPHY. An AC-119K gunship attacks a heavily defended road section in SEA. Despite losing 15 feet of the aircraft’s right wing and an aileron, the crew continues the battle and then returns to base. For
May 4, 1942
1942: Through 8 May, the Battle of Coral Sea featured the first naval engagement fought by aircraft, as the opposing ships made no contact.
May 3, 1973
1973: The 1972 Mackay Trophy goes to three Vietnam aces: Captains Richard S. “Steve” Ritchie, Charles B. DeBellevue, and Jeffery S. Feinstein.
May 2,1923
Lieutenants John Macready and Oakley Kelly 1923: MACKAY TROPHY and Distinguished Flying Cross. Lts. Kelly & Maccready fly 1st nonstop transcontinental flight, NY-San Diego, 2,520 miles in 26:50:03 seconds