Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine

20 February 2026

AVIATION HISTORY

20 February 1958 – F-104 Starfighter becomes operational

On 20 February 1958, Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, the new American interceptor aircraft, became operational with the 83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron of the United States Air Force. The aircraft was designed in response to the USAF´s experiences from the Korean War. [...]
SPACE

40th anniversary of the launch of Mir’s core module

On 19 February 1986, a new chapter in human space exploration began with the successful launch of the DOS-7 core module of the Soviet space station “Mir”, marking the beginning of the first modular orbital space station ever built. The [...]
PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Extra 330SC

Extra 330SC (c/n SC018, OK-KOP), rehearsal for the Red Bull Air Race demo, on the eve of the 29th Aviatická pouť (Aviation Fair) air show, Pardubice, May 2019. A series of aerobatic aeroplanes manufactured under the common brand name “Extra” [...]
MILITARY AVIATION

Galileo SAR Meet 2025 – Prague-Kbely hosts Europe’s leading SAR crews

The 2025 edition of the Galileo SAR Meet took place from 4 to 8 August at Kbely Air Force Base in Prague, Czech Republic. Organised in cooperation with the European Union Space Programme and the European Union Agency for the [...]
AVIATION HISTORY

13 February 1923 – Chuck Yeager is born

On 13 February 1923, Charles Elwood “Chuck” Yeager, a USAF officer, combat ace, and test pilot, was born in Myra, West Virginia. Chuck Yeager was born into a farming family. He spent his youth in West Virginia, where he attended [...]

From active duty to history – a short review of military aircraft retirements in 2025

FEATURED

14 January 2026

The year 2025 marked aviation history with several notable farewells to iconic military aircraft. These included both well-known workhorses from the Cold War era and relatively newer designs that proved ineffective in the modern combat [...]

First ever wingsuit foil soaring flight with altitude gain

DREAMERS AND DOERS

26 November 2025

In its press release published on 19 November 2025, the Red Bull company announced that Austrian wingsuit pioneer Peter Salzmann had once again pushed the boundaries of what is possible in human flight. This time, [...]

FEATURED