Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine

5 June 2026

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 [...]
MILITARY AVIATION

Saab and General Atomics reach milestone with the first flight of AEW UAV

The Swedish company Saab and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) from the USA have successfully completed the maiden flight of the world’s first unmanned Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft. This significant milestone was achieved by integrating Saab’s LoyalEye radar [...]
PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Comco Ikarus C42 B

Comco Ikarus C42 B (c/n 0806-6983, YR-5152, Aeroclubul României), used as a glider tug during the 2012 edition of the Bucharest International Air Show, Bucharest, July 2012. The Ikarus C42 general aviation ultralight aeroplane was developed in the mid-1990s, by [...]
AVIATION EVENTS

A flying start to the air show season – Den ve vzduchu 2026

This year’s edition of Den ve vzduchu (Day in the Air), the biggest aviation event in the West Bohemia region, took place on 25–26 April 2026 at its regular venue, the Plasy airfield. The show attracted thousands of spectators who, [...]
AVIATION HISTORY

29 May 1951 – in a P-51 Mustang over the North Pole

On 29 May 1951, Charles F. Blair Jr. flew over the North Pole in a P-51C Mustang fighter aircraft. He bought the P-51C Mustang in 1950 and named it “Excalibur III”. The aircraft had already been modified for long-distance air [...]

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