Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine

12 March 2026

AVIATION HISTORY FRIDAY

13 March 1977 – first flight of Sikorsky S-76

On 13 March 1977, the prototype of the Sikorsky S-76 medium-size utility rotorcraft performed its first flight. The development of the S-76 helicopter began in the mid-1970s and, initially, the rotorcraft was known as the S-74. However, over time its [...]
MILITARY AVIATION

NATO E-3A Sentry performs first AWACS mission in Finnish airspace

As reported by Allied Air Command (AIRCOM), during the first week of March a NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft conducted its first mission in Finnish airspace. The mission of the Boeing E-3A Sentry marked an important [...]
PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Airbus A330 MRTT

Airbus A330-243 Multi Role Tanker Transport (c/n 1830, T-054 operated by Koninklijke Luchtmacht / the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force), exercise Lion Effort 2024, Čáslav, May 2024. The Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) was developed in the [...]
CIVIL AVIATION

Iconic Jumbo Jet joins Lufthansa’s 100th anniversary “XXL Crane” fleet

Founded on 6 January 1926, Lufthansa – Germany’s national airline and currently one of the world’s leading carriers – is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, the company decided to give some of its aircraft a [...]
AVIATION HISTORY

6 March 1936 – Avro Anson enters the RAF service

On 6 March 1936, Avro Anson, a new British twin-engine military aircraft, entered operational service with No. 48 Squadron of the Royal Air Force. The Anson was developed in the mid-1930s, in response to the Air Ministry requirements for a [...]

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