Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine

26 June 2026

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, [...]
OTHER

Avincis strengthens its European operations with up to 15 additional H145 helicopters

On 15 June 2026, in Donauwörth, Germany, Airbus Helicopters and Avincis, one of the world’s leading aerial emergency services operators, signed a contract for up to 15 H145 helicopters. The new rotorcraft will strengthen Avincis’ operational presence in the Nordic [...]
PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Republic RF-84F Thunderflash

Republic RF-84F Thunderflash (c/n unknown, formerly 51-1945 of the US Air National Guard and FR-28 of the Belgian Air Force), exhibited at the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History, Brussels, September 2023. In 1948, the Republic company [...]
MILITARY AVIATION

Fifth edition of the Chilean multi-domain exercise – SALITRE 2026

Between 29 June and 10 July 2026, Fuerza Aérea de Chile (the Chilean Air Force – FACh) will host the fifth edition of the multi-domain live-fly exercise known as SALITRE 2026. The current iteration of the training, conducted in accordance [...]
AVIATION HISTORY

19 June 1937 – maiden flight of Airspeed Oxford

On 19 June 1937, the Airspeed Oxford, a British twin-engine training and transport aircraft, performed its first flight. The aeroplane was developed by Airspeed, following the British Air Ministry Specification T.23/36, and based on the company´s earlier design, the AS.6 [...]

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