Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine

3 July 2026

AVIATION HISTORY

3 July 1937 – first flight of Dornier Do 24

On 3 July 1937, the prototype of the German flying boat, the Dornier Do 24, successfully performed its maiden flight. In August 1934, Reichsluftfahrtministerium (the German Reich Ministry of Aviation – RLM) issued a requirement for a long-range, ocean-going reconnaissance [...]
MILITARY AVIATION

No-fly means no-fly – G7 Summit sees first-ever paraglider interception

Between 15 and 17 June 2026, the 52nd annual G7 Summit took place in Évian-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie, France. As always, the event required extensive security measures on the ground and in the air. The French and Swiss authorities imposed week-long restrictions, [...]
PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Klemm L 25H (replica)

Klemm L 25H (full-scale replica, OK-RAU 07), flying display during the 2022 edition of Den ve vzduchu air show, Plasy, April 2022. In 1926, Hanns Klemm, a German aviation engineer who had previously worked for Zeppelin and Daimler, founded his [...]
MILITARY AVIATION

Saab delivers final Gripen fighters to the Hungarian Air Force

On 23 June 2026, two new Saab JAS 39 Gripen C fighter aircraft landed at Kecskemét Air Base, completing the deliveries stipulated in the contract amendment signed by Försvarets materielverk (FMV – the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration) and Honvédelmi Minisztérium [...]
AVIATION HISTORY

26 June 1936 – first flight of the Focke-Wulf Fw 61

On 26 June 1936, the Focke-Wulf Fw 61 twin-rotor helicopter performed its maiden flight. Heinrich Focke, born in Bremen in 1890, was a German aviation pioneer and rotorcraft designer, often referred to as the “father of the helicopter”. In 1923, [...]

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