Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine

12 June 2026

AVIATION HISTORY

12 June 1930 – first flight of Handley Page Heyford

On 12 June 1930, the Handley Page Heyford biplane bomber successfully completed its maiden flight. In 1927, the British Air Ministry issued Specification B.19/27 for a new night heavy bomber intended to replace the Vickers Virginia. The new aircraft was [...]
OTHER

NASA’s X-59 aeroplane completes its first supersonic flight

On Friday, 5 June 2026, NASA’s X-59 experimental aircraft reached a major milestone by flying faster than the speed of sound for the first time. During the 81-minute flight, the X-59 performed as expected, achieving a speed of Mach 1.1 [...]
PHOTO OF THE WEEK

SZD-22C Mucha Standard

SZD-22C Mucha Standard (c/n F-642, SP-2258), participating in the International Vintage Glider and Classic Hang Glider Rally, Witków, May 2026. The SZD-22 was the final development of the successful Mucha (Fly, order Diptera) series, designed and produced by Szybowcowy Zakład [...]
SPACE

UK astronaut John McFall moves closer to historic space mission

The UK Space Agency recently announced that, thanks to an agreement signed between the UK Government and the US commercial space company Vast, British astronaut John McFall has the opportunity to become the first person with a physical disability to [...]
AVIATION HISTORY

5 June 1909 – the first National Balloon Race in the United States

On 5 June 1909, the first official national balloon championship in the United States, the National Balloon Race, took place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The first official balloon race in the United States was organised by Carl Fisher, a well-known [...]

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