The Civilian Pilot Training Act of 1939 Signed into Law

The Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) was established as a civilian program, but its potential for national defense was undisguised. The government would pay for a 72-hour ground school course followed by 35 to 50 hours of flight instruction at facilities located near eleven colleges and universities. The CPTP proved successful, not only strengthening national […]

Gulfstream Announced that Its G500 and G600 Each Exceeded 100,000 Flight Hours

The Gulfstream G500 and G600, which entered service in 2018 and 2019, respectively, and are powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada engines, have each surpassed 100,000 flight hours. Both aircraft have seen strong demand and continuous global utilization in the private aviation industry due to their reliability and popularity. Both aircraft are U.S. Federal Aviation […]

First Flight Over the North Pole

  Byrd and Chief Aviation Floyd Bennett flew over the North Pole on May 9, 1926, in the Josephine Ford, a triple-engine Fokker high-wing monoplane. Byrd’s and Bennett’s flight was the first time an aircraft had flown over the top of the world. The pair took off from Spitsbergen, Norway, and reportedly covered the 1,545-mile […]

Gulfstream G650’s Flight Test

The high Mach number was achieved to validate the aircraft’s maximum speed for stability characteristics, a requirement for receiving a Certificate of Airworthiness from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Such high speeds were outside the aircraft’s normal flight envelope. The G650’s maximum allowable Mach number at the time was Mach 0.925. Before this first test […]

First Commercial Nonstop Flight

A Pan American World Airways Boeing 377 Stratocruiser completed the first commercial nonstop flight from Tokyo, Japan, to Honolulu, Hawaii on January 3, 1950. The 11 hour and 24 minutes flight covered  3,933 miles without making the customary stop at Midway for refueling.

Reducing the Risk of Midair Collisions

On December 27, 1978, Former United States Secretary of Transportation Brock Adams announced a comprehensive regulatory program to improve aviation safety by reducing the risk of midair collisions in U.S. airspace by 80.00%. The announcement followed a tragic collision over San Diego between a Pacific Southwest Airlines jet and a private aircraft that occurred on […]

New York Municipal Airport Opening

When New York Municipal Airport opened on December 2, 1939, the public was fascinated by the idea of air travel and visited the airport and paid the time fee to watch the landing and take offs of the airliners. The airport was renamed to La Guardia Airport in 1947.

First Chimpanzee to Orbit Earth

Fun Fact Friday: In 1961, the first chimpanzee orbited Earth on NASA’s Mercury-Atlas 5 (MA-5) mission. This needed to be done before an astronaut could be orbited in the Mercury capsule. The chimpanzee performed a series of learned tasks on its journey, which showed that humans would have a limited functional capability in space.

Gulfstream Delivered its 150th Gulfstream G200

  On April 26, 2007, Gulfstream Aerospace delivered its 150th Gulfstream G200 business jet. The G200 is one of Gulfstream’s six business jets and the first of the new generation of super mid-size business-jet aircraft to enter service. It offers the longest range, the largest cabin and the best balanced overall performance among its competitors. […]