Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine

17 June 2026

AVIATION EVENTS

70th anniversary of the Náměšť air base – open day at the 22nd Helicopter Air Base

On 16 May 2026, after a two-year hiatus, the gates of 22. základna vrtulníkového letectva (the 22nd Helicopter Air Base) once again opened to the general public. Similar to the previous edition, the Czech Armed Forces prepared a full day [...]
PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Zlín Z-137T Agro Turbo

Zlín Z-137T Agro Turbo (c/n 048, OM-NRP, operated by Aero Slovakia a.s.), used as a glider tug during the 2012 edition of the Slovak International Air Fest (SIAF), Sliač, September 2012. On 29 June 1963, the prototype of a new [...]
SPACE

ESA to send first Czech astronaut to the ISS on private Vast mission

The European Space Agency (ESA) is set to organise an astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on behalf of the Czech Republic. This will be the first private astronaut mission to the ISS resulting from a contract signed [...]
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 [...]

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