Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine

31 July 2026

AVIATION HISTORY

31 July 1894 – Maxim’s biplane takes to the air

On 31 July 1894, a biplane developed by Hiram Maxim performed an uncontrolled flight over a distance of approximately 600 ft. Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim was born on 5 February 1840 in Sangerville, Maine, in the United States, into a [...]
MILITARY AVIATION

NISRF provides persistent ISR support during NATO’s Neptune Strike 26-3

The NATO Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Force (NISRF) took part in Neptune Strike 26-3, a NATO Enhanced Vigilance Activity (EVA) conducted from 17 to 23 July 2026 in the High North and North Atlantic as part of the wider Arctic [...]
PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Gulfstream IV

Gulfstream IV (c/n 1014, “021” of Flygvapnet / the Swedish Air Force), taxiing to the apron at Sliač Air Base, Sliač, August 2015. The story of the business aircraft manufactured by Grumman and marketed under the Gulfstream brand began in [...]
MILITARY AVIATION

Airbus A400M joins France’s aerial firefighting fleet

The Airbus A400M Atlas has taken on a brand new operational role. In response to one of its most severe wildfire seasons in recent years, France has deployed the Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace‘s (French Air and Space Force) [...]
AVIATION HISTORY

24 July 1897 – Amelia Earhart is born

On 24 July 1897, Amelia Earhart, an American aviation pioneer, was born in Atchison, Kansas. Amelia Earhart is one of the best-known American aviation pioneers. In 1928, she became the first female passenger to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a [...]

The world-first wingsuit formation flight over Mont Blanc

DREAMERS AND DOERS

5 July 2026

On 25 June 2026, Red Bull issued a press release announcing that a group of eight of the world’s best wingsuit pilots had completed the longest terrain formation flight ever, launching from above Mont Blanc. [...]

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 [...]

DREAMERS AND DOERS