Warbirds Online » Blog Archive » This Week In Military/Aviation History 15-21 March

Well Folks, since last we spoke, yet another local airshow was cancelled. This time due to construction at the airport where it is held. It looks more and more like our airshow at Geneseo is going to be one of the most important local airshows this year. With the economic situation and gas prices, traveling is not such a good thing. Hopefully, we won’t have to join the others and skip it this year. Hey, ya never know. Personally, I’m looking forward to it more this year because of the limited choices. Hey, if all goes well, maybe I’ll see you there! That would be cool. Keep these dates: July 9-11 open. I’ll pass along more info as soon as I get it. In the meantime check http://www.1941hag.org every so often for updates. For now though, let’s take our weekly trek down History Lane, shall we? Yes, I think we shall.

Tom K.

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20 March 1910
Gaspard-Felix Tournachon, alias Nadar, the photographer and balloonist, dies. He had taken the first aerial (balloon) photographs in 1863.

17 March 1911
The Curtiss D pusher-engined biplane with a tricycle landing gear is demonstrated to the United States Army. Later it becomes their Army Aeroplane No.2.

15 March 1912
The newly established Turkish Army Aviation Section receives its first two French-built aircraft.

20 March 1915
The Belgian Aviation Militaire is formed.

15 March 1917
Tsar Nicholas II of Russia abdicates in favor of Grand Duke Michael.

17 March 1917
Zeppelin LZ86 (L39) is brought down over Compiegne in France by anti-aircraft fire.

19 March 1918
While on patrol near Heligoland, Ensign Stephen Potter becomes the first United States Navy (USN) airman to shoot down a German aircraft.

21 March 1918
The German spring offensive begins and hundreds of aircraft take part in Kaiserschlacht (‘Emperors Battle’).

20 March 1922
USS Langley, the first United States aircraft carrier is commissioned.

19 March 1934
United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) resumes internal mail services.

16 March 1935
Germany repudiates the disarmament clauses of the Versailles Treaty, announcing a huge re-armament program and re-introducing conscription.

16 March 1942
Japanese aircraft bomb targets at Port Darwin in Australia.

16 March 1943
On Eastern Front, the first operational trails of an anti tank version of the Junkers Ju87G take place. The aircraft is fitted with two 37mm Flak guns.

16 March 1945
Japanese resistance on Iwo Jima ends, but is a costly victory, with 6,891 Marines killed and another 18,070 injured. It proves a very useful emergency landing ground with 2251 Boeing B29s finding refuge here before the war ends.

17 March 1945
307 Boeing B-29s drop 2,300 tons of incendiaries on Kobe in Japan.

18 March 1945
The largest United States Army Air Force (USAAF) daylight raid on Berlin takes place, with 1,250 bombers and an escort of 670 fighters.

20-21 March 1945
The Luftwaffe mounts its last manned aircraft attack on the United Kingdom.

21 March 1945
The first, unsuccessful, sortie is made by Japanese Yokosuka Ohka suicide aircraft.

21-24 March 1945
A combined effort by Allied air forces in Europe is mounted against the Luftwaffe and its bases and virtually destroys the Luftwaffe as an effective force.

21 March 1946
The United States Army Air Force (USAAF) establishes its Air Defense Command, Strategic Air Command and Tactical Air Command.

15 March 1951
The Boeing B-47 jet bomber is successfully refuelled in flight by a Boeing KC-97A piston engined tanker.

21 March 1951
The conclusion of a Franco-American civil aviation agreement is announced.

15 March 1955
The United States Air Force (USAF) announces that aircraft stationed in the Arctic and approaches to the North American Continent will shortly be armed with Falcon air-to-air guided missiles.

15 March 1957
A United States Navy (USN) ZPG2 airship establishes a new unrefuelled endurance record of 264 hours 12 minutes.

17 March 1958
Vanguard I, the 2nd United States satellite to enter Earth’s orbit, is launched.

21 March 1962
Following manned tests at 909kph (565mph) on the 28 February high speed tests of an escape capsule fitted to the Convair B-58A Hustler are undertaken. An unnamed bear is ejected from a Convair B-58A ‘Hustler’ at 1,400kph (870mph) and lands safely.

17 March 1968
General Dynamics F-111A aircraft are used operationally for the first time in Vietnam and two are lost by the end of the month.

17 March 1976
A Japan Air Lines Boeing 747 makes the first non-stop flight from Tokyo to New York, covering the 6,300 mile journey in 11 hours 30 minutes.

16 March 1983
After being used to train pilots for 18 years, the Luftwaffe withdraws the Lockheed F-104G and TF-104G from service.

6 March 1996
The Dutch aircraft company Fokker is declared bankrupt and ceases aircraft manufacturing after 77 years.

19 March 1996
The McDonnell Douglas X-36, a $14 million, unmanned, advanced research vehicle is unveiled.

21 March 1999
Hot air balloon ‘Breitling Orbiter 3′ completes the first non-stop, round the world balloon flight. This sets a new distance record for any type of aircraft of 40,804 kilometers (25,360 miles).

15 March 2001
Two hijackers, identifying themselves as Chechen rebels, seize control of a Vnukovo Airlines Tu154 with 162 passengers on board as it departs Istanbul Ataturk airport. The aircraft lands safely at Medina airport in Saudi Arabia, where the hijack is brought to an end by Saudi Special Forces, who storm the airplane, killing one of the hijackers, a passenger and a stewardess.

17 March 2005
A judge has found millionaire Sikh businessman Ripudaman Singh Malik and sawmill worker Ajaib Singh Bagri not guilty of conspiracy and murder in the 1985 Air India bombing that killed 329 people.

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That’s it for this week Folks. See ya in seven.

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