Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine

23 November 2025

AVIATION HISTORY

21 November 1783 – the first untethered manned flight in a Montgolfier balloon

On 21 November 1783, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and the Marquis d’Arlandes made the world´s first untethered flight in a Montgolfier hot air balloon. The aerostat reached an altitude of 3,000 feet and remained airborne for about twenty-five minutes. Jean-François [...]
CIVIL AVIATION

African air carriers order Boeing 737 MAX airliners at the Dubai Airshow

According to the latest announcement from the Boeing company, Air Sénégal and Ethiopian Airlines have agreed to order a combined total of twenty Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The two agreements – for nine and eleven jets, respectively – were signed [...]
PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Hatz CB-1

Hatz CB-1 (c/n 78, HB-YSH) landing after the flying display performed during Flugtage Fricktal-Schupfart 2018 airshow, Schupfart, July 2018. The Hatz biplane was developed in the late 1960s by John Hatz, an American aviator, flying instructor and aircraft mechanic. John [...]
MILITARY AVIATION

Czech Air Force bids farewell to its last Mi-8 helicopter

On 23 October 2025, the Czech Air Force bade farewell to its last Mil Mi-8 helicopter. Almost six decades of the rotorcraft active service officially came to an end during a solemn ceremony held at Prague-Kbely Air Force Base. The [...]
AVIATION HISTORY

14 November 1935 – maiden flight of Noorduyn Norseman

On 14 November 1935, the Noorduyn Norseman, a Canadian bush plane, performed its first flight. The aircraft was designed by Robert B.C. Noorduyn, a Dutch-born aviation engineer. His aviation career began in 1913, when Noorduyn moved to England and started [...]

End of the tale – Poland retires its Sukhoi Su-22 aircraft

FEATURED

5 November 2025

On 11 September 2025, after more than four decades of service, the Siły Powietrzne (Polish Air Force) officially retired its last examples of the Sukhoi Su-22 fighter-bomber. Once again, one of the iconic aircraft of [...]

Austrian wingsuit pilot sets the new world speed record

DREAMERS AND DOERS

17 September 2025

It was in early November 2024 that we first wrote about wingsuit flyer Peter Salzmann and his feat of breaking three world records in a single flight. Now, almost a year later, the Austrian skydiver [...]

AVIATION HISTORY