Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine

25 April 2025

AVIATION HISTORY

25 April 1945 – Graf Zeppelin aircraft carrier is captured by the Red Army

On 25th April 1945, the only German aircraft carrier ´Graf Zeppelin´ was captured by the Red Army in Stettin (now Szczecin, in Poland). However, shortly before she was significantly damaged by the Germans themselves who detonated explosives inside the ship. [...]
MILITARY AVIATION

FARP at the Marine training course

In the middle of April 2025, the US Marine Corps helicopter crews took part in the Forward Arming and Refuelling Point (FARP) training, within the Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 2-25 organised by the Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics [...]
PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Dassault Mirage IIIDS

Dassault Mirage IIIDS (c/n MD 470, HB-RDF, formerly ´J-2012´ of the Swiss Air Force), static display at the 75th Anniversary of Meiringen airfield, Meiringen, June 2016. In the early 1950s, the French Ministry of Defence issued specification for a new, [...]
FEATURED

20th anniversary of Gripen service with the Czech Air Force

Twenty years ago, on 18th April 2005, the first Swedish-made supersonic jet fighters arrived to 21. základna taktického letectva (the 21st Tactical Air Force Base) in Čáslav, therefore opening the Gripen era in the Czech Air Force. The story of [...]
AVIATION HISTORY

18 April 1952 – first flight of Convair YB-60

On 18th April 1952, prototype of Convair YB-60 long-range heavy bomber, successfully performed its maiden flight. The story of YB-60 starts already in the early 1940s, when the US military authorities issued the first requirement for a long-range strategic bomber, [...]

20th anniversary of Gripen service with the Czech Air Force

FEATURED

21 April 2025

Twenty years ago, on 18th April 2005, the first Swedish-made supersonic jet fighters arrived to 21. základna taktického letectva (the 21st Tactical Air Force Base) in Čáslav, therefore opening the Gripen era in the Czech [...]

Pioneer years of the Finnish aviation – tragic flight across the Alps

AVIATION HISTORY

13 January 2025

On 7th September 1920, on their way from Italy to Finland, two crews of the Finnish Air Force made an attempt to fly across the Alps in Savoia S.9 flying boats. Regrettably, they never reached [...]

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