SEP01

1925 - US Navy Commander John Rodgers flying from San Francisco, California in a PN-9 flying boat in an attempt to make the 1st transpacific flight from North America to the Hawaiian Islands, runs out of fuel after 1,841 miles (a new distance record for seaplanes), and ditch 365 miles from Oahu. The crew sailed the craft to Nawiliwili Harbor on Kauai the next 9 days.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Rodgers_(naval_officer,_World_War_I) - http://hawaii.gov/hawaiiaviation/aviation-photos/1920-1929/commander-john-rodgers/

1926 - Death of Cyrus K. Bettis, American aviator winner of the 1924 Mitchell Trophy Race and the 1925 Mackay Trophy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_K._Bettis

1927 - Lt Dick Bently of the South African Air Force takes off from England for the 1st solo flight to South Africa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Aviation/Historical_anniversaries/September_in_aviation/September_28

1930 - French Dieudonne Costes and Maurice Bellonte takes off from Paris their Breguet Super Bidon named Point d'Interrogation for a east-west transatlantic flight.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breguet_19#Sports_Variants

1930 - 1st flight of The Berliner-Joyce P-16, American two-seat single-bay biplane of unequal span, with the wings forward-staggered, fighter aircraft

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berliner-Joyce_P-16

1931 - Sir Alan Cobham, with a crew of five, complete his round trip to the Belgian Congo, flying a Short Valetta on the 19,800 kilometre (12,300 mile) flight from Rochester

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/history-of-aviation-timeline/interactive-aviation-timeline/british-civil-aviation/1931.aspx

1931 - Lowell Bayles raced over the Shell qualifying course in the Gee Bee "Z" christened the "City of Springfield", setting an unofficial speed record of of 267.342 miles per hour (430 km/h).

http://www.air-racing-history.com/PILOTS/Lowell%20Bayles.htm

1934 - 1st flight of The Loire 46, French single-seater fighter aircraft. Gull mono-wing configuration, open cockpit, and fixed landing gear.

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loire_46 - http://aviafrance.com/aviafrance1.php?ID=836

1934 - 1st flight of The Bellanca 28-70, American long-range air racer prototype christened 'Irish Swoop', later developped into the Bellanca 28-90 Flash as a high-speed bomber.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellanca_28-70

1934 - American Colonel Roscoe Turner sets a new United States coast-to-coast record of 10 hours 2 minutes.

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/history-of-aviation-timeline/interactive-aviation-timeline/world-aviation/1934.aspx

1937 - 1st flight of The Bell YFM-1 Airacuda, 1st military aircraft produced by the Bell Aircraft Corporation, Originally designated the "Bell Model 1". Twin pusher engine, it was designed as a "mobile anti-aircraft platform" as well as a "convoy fighter".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_YFM-1_Airacuda

1937 - Trans-Canada Air Lines (later Air Canada) begins operations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Canada_Airlines#Genesis

1938 - 1st flight of the Bloch MB-500, French 3 seat low wing monoplane twin engine Utility and trainer prototype

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloch_MB.500

1939 - Death of Tokuya Sudo, Japanese China war and Russian war Flying ace, killed in action in his Nakajima Ki-27.

http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/japan_sudo.htm - http://www.cieldegloire.com/010_sudo_t.php

1939 - Death of Takayori Kodama, Japanese Soviet-Japanese war flying ace, Killed in action in his KI-27 South of Jiangjun Miao.

http://www.cieldegloire.com/010_kodama_t.php

1939 - 1st Bombing of WWII : 11 minutes before the official German declaration of hostilities, a Kette ("chain" or flight of three) of Junkers Ju 87s of 3./StG 1 led by Staffelkapitän Oberleutnant Bruno Dilley bombs Polish defence positions near the Dirschau Bridge near the Danzig corridor..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkers_Ju_87#Second_World_War - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Dilley

1939 - 1st aerial victory of WWII : Leutnant Frank Neubert flying a Junkers Ju 87 “Stuka” dive bomber shoot down a PZL P.11c fighter killing Polish Captain Mieczyslaw Medwecki.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Neubert - http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mieczys%C5%82aw_Medwecki

1939 - 1st allied aerial victory : Polish Wladyslaw Gnys flying a PZL P.11c fighter damage a Junje Ju-87 Stuka and downs 2 Dornier Do-17E bombers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W%C5%82adys%C5%82aw_Gny%C5%9B

1939 - The Air Transport Auxiliary is formed to deliver new and repaired aircraft to Royal Air Force units.

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/history-of-aviation-timeline/interactive-aviation-timeline/british-military-aviation/1939.aspx

1940 - 1st flight of the North American P-64 (or North American Aviation NA-68), American Fighter aircraft, upgraded variant of the NA-50.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_P-64

1941 - 1st flight of The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, German rocket-powered fighter aircraft. It is the only rocket-powered fighter aircraft ever to have been operational.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_163

1942 - Hans-Joachim Marseille, German WWII fighter ace, shoot down 17 fighters on that single day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans-Joachim_Marseille#Victory_claims_and_notable_actions

1942 - Royal Air Force (RAF) and United States Navy (USN) Consolidated Catalina flying boats disperse a German U-boat 'wolf pack' attacking a west bound North Atlantic convoy and one U-boat is sunk.

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/history-of-aviation-timeline/interactive-aviation-timeline/world-aviation/1942.aspx

1944 - 1st and most destructive phase of the V1 campaign, the bombardment of the United Kingdom from bases in the Pas de Calais, came to an end with the launch of the final weapon.

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/history-of-aviation-timeline/interactive-aviation-timeline/british-military-aviation/1944.aspx

1944 - Death of Fernand Eugene Guyou, French WWI flying ace, Airliner pilot and WWII Pilot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernand_Guyou - http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/france/guyou.php

1944 - 1st flight of The Hawker Fury, British fighter aircraft prototype which will gain success in its naval version, one of the fastest production single piston-engined aircraft ever built.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Sea_Fury#Origins

1945 - 1st flight of the Morane-Saulnier MS-560, French civil aerobatic monoplane

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_MS.560 - http://aviafrance.com/aviafrance1.php?ID=9941

1948 - 1st flight of the LWD Zuch-1, Polish aerobatics and trainer aircraft, issued from the LWD Junak-1.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LWD_Zuch

1948 - 1st flight of The Saab 29, popularly called Flygande tunnan ("The Flying Barrel"), Swedish jet fighter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_29_Tunnan

1950 - TWA Flight 903 Lockheed Constellation L-749A 'Star of Maryland' reported that its number 3 engine was on fire and that they needed a priority return to Cairo. As the plane was returning to Cairo, the engine separated from the plane, forcing the crew to attempt a forced landing in the desert about 65 miles NNW of Cairo. The airliner went down near the village of Ityai el Barud at the rim of the Western Desert, killing all 55 on board.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_903

1950 - 1st flight of The Avro 706 Ashton, British prototype jet airliner.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Ashton

1953 - The 2nd prototype of the French experimental interceptor aircraft SNCASO SO.9000 Trident crashes during its 1st flight.

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/SO.9000_Trident

1953 - 1st flight of the Petitbon RP-40 'Le Voyageur', French homebuilt, twin seat low wing monoplane tourer prototype.

http://aviafrance.com/aviafrance1.php?ID=9476

1953 - 1st jet-to-jet aerial refueling is made by a KB-47 refueling a B-47 Stratojet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Aviation/Historical_anniversaries/September_in_aviation/September_1

1954 - The United States Air Force (USAF) Continental Air Defence Command is established.

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/history-of-aviation-timeline/interactive-aviation-timeline/world-aviation/1954.aspx

1954 - Death of Bertrand Blanchard 'Bert' Acosta, American record setting aviator who flew in the Spanish Civil War in the Yankee Squadron, known as the 'Bad Boy of the Air'. He received numerous fines and suspensions for flying stunts such as flying under bridges or flying too close to buildings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Acosta

1954 - Finnair inaugurates a Helsinki to London service operating Convair CV340s.

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/history-of-aviation-timeline/interactive-aviation-timeline/world-aviation/1954.aspx

1954 - 1st flight of the Fairchild C-123B Provider, American military transport aircraft, initially built and flown by Chase Aircraft.

http://www.aviastar.org/air/usa/fair_provider.php

1954 - 1st flight of the Lockheed L-1249 Super Constellation, American 4 engine airliner, turbine powered version of the Lockheed Constellation aircraft family.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_L-1249_Super_Constellation

1961 - TWA Flight 529 Lockheed L-049 Constellation 'Star of Dublin' flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Midway Airport in Chicago, killing all 73 passengers and 5 crew on board after the loss of a 5/16 inch bolt which fell out of the elevator control mechanism during the climb from Chicago, resulting in an abrupt pitch up followed by a stall and crash.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_529

1961 - Birth of Christopher J. Ferguson, USN pilot and NASA astronaut.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Ferguson

1962 - Launch of Venera 2MV-1 No.2, also known as Sputnik 20, Soviet spacecraft which was intended to become the 1st spacecraft to land on Venus but failed to leave low Earth orbit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venera_2MV-1_No.2

1966 - Britannia Airways Flight 105 Bristol 175 Britannia 102 struck trees on approach to 3 km (1.9 mls) SE of Ljubljana Jože Pucnik Airport, Slovenia, and crashed, killing 98 over 117. The reason cited for the accident was a wrong setting of the altimeter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britannia_Airways_Flight_105

1967 - Air Rhodesia (later Air Zimbabwe) is formed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Rhodesia

1970 - 1st flight of The Dassault Mystère/Falcon 10, French early corporate jet, scaled-down version of the Falcon 20.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dassault_Falcon_10

1974 - The lone Sikorsky S-67 Blackhawk (American private-venture, prototype attack helicopter) crashed while conducting a low-level aerobatic demonstration at the Farnborough Airshow.During a low-level roll maneuver, the nose dropped too close to the ground for safe completion of the maneuver, Killing Sikorsky test pilot Stu Craig. Development work on the S-67 ceased after this accident.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_S-67_Blackhawk#Fatal_crash_and_afterwards

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_military_aircraft_(1960%E2%80%931974)#1974

1974 – The SR-71 Blackbird sets the record for flying from New York to London, distance 3,508 miles (5,646 km), 1,435.587 miles per hour (2,310.353 km/h), and an elapsed time of 1 hour 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR-71_Blackbird#Records

1975 - 4th production Concorde makes two return flights to Gander in Newfoundland, becoming the 1st aircraft to make four Atlantic crossings in one day.

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/history-of-aviation-timeline/interactive-aviation-timeline/british-civil-aviation/1975.aspx

1977 - Death of Mario Fucini, Italian WWI flying ace

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Fucini - http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/italy/fucini.php

1979 – American space probe Pioneer 11 becomes the 1st spacecraft to visit Saturn when it passes the planet at a distance of 21,000 km.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_11#Saturn_encounter

1982 - Americans H. Ross Perot Jr. and Jay Coburn takes off from Dallas texas, with a Bell 206L-2 "Spirit of Texas" for a round-the-world helicopter flight.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_206#Operational_history

1982 - The Air Force Space Command (AFSPC), to support US military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations, is formed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_Space_Command

1983 - Korean Air Lines Flight 007 Boeing 747-230B is downed by Soviet Air Force Sukhoi Su-15s. According to investigations, the Korean Air plane had strayed off course and into Russian airspace near Sakhalin Island, and Soviet pilots claimed the plane had ignored warnings before being shot down. All 269 on board died.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Air_Lines_Flight_007

1984 - Death of Tydeo Larre Borges, Uruguayan military aviation pioneer and raid pilot.

http://www.fau.mil.uy/larreborges.html

1987 - Death of Gerhard Fieseler,German WWI flying ace, aerobatics champion, aircraft designer and manufacturer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerhard_Fieseler - http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/fieseler.php

2006 - Iran Air Tours Flight 945 Tupolev Tu-154M burst into flames upon landing in Mashhad, Iran, probably because the nose gear tire blew on landing, killing 28 over 148.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Tours_Flight_945

2006 - 1st flight of the Boeing 737-900ER, longer and more powerful variant of the 737, American short- to medium-range twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_737#Variants - http://www.boeing.com/boeing/history/chronology/chron18.page?#06

2007 - During the Radom Airshow in poland, 3 Zlin Z-526 aircraft from the AZL Zelazny aerobatics team were performing their display. One maneuver involved the 3 aircraft simultaneously flying toward a central point from different directions. 2 of them, piloted by Piotr Banachowicz and by the group's founder, Lech Marchelewski, struck each other at right angles, destroying both aircraft and killing both pilots.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radom_Air_Show

2009 - SkyEurope Airlines, Slovak low-cost airline, Ceases operations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyEurope

2009 - Death of Francis Melvin Rogallo, American aeronautical engineer inventor credited with the invention of the Rogallo wing, or "flexible wing", a precursor to the modern hang glider and paraglider

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Rogallo

2011 - Mary Allen Hardison from Ogden, Utah, celebrates her 101st birthday in the air, being then the oldest female to paraglide tandem.

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2012/3/great-great-grandmother-mary-allen-hardison-becomes-oldest-female-to-paraglide-tandem-at-the-age-of-101/

2013 - Death of Kenneth Horatio Wallis, WWII bomber pilot, one of the leading exponents of autogyros who held 34 autogyro records and still held eight at the time of his death.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Wallis