The Hawker Hunter (Mk. 3) celebrated the 60th anniversary of its first flight on 20 July. This aircraft is now displayed at the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, West Sussex.
The Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) marked its 40th anniversary with exceptional flying displays, involving aircraft from various nations. A Dassault Rafale displayed its capabilities, as did an Avro Vulcan and a United States Air Force Fairchild A-10C Thunderbolt II. Many displays were captured on film by AirSpace users.
Six Hawker Hunters, including Team Viper and a two-seater example in Tiger livery from Switzerland, carried out several special formation flypasts during the tattoo rehearsal day, to mark the 60th anniversary of one of Sir Sydney Camm's classic designs, as captured by AirSpace user Concorde216
Gloster Whittle 70th anniversary
The Gloster Whittle E-28 was the first British jet-engined aircraft to fly, although there is no mention of it in the Flight issue after the maiden flight, which was reportedly 15 May 1941.
The Gloster Aircraft Company celebrated a "decade of achievement" in 1951 by taking out an advertisement in Flight featuring an illustration of a model on a stand showing the Gloster Whittle E-28 in flight.
Beluga takes its first flight 17 years ago
Beluga, the whale-shaped cargo aircraft, celebrated 17 years of service on 13 September.
20th anniversary of C-17 first flight
In 1980 the US Air Force wanted a new tactical airlifter that could be refuelled in flight and land with large loads on austere landing strips. The C-17 was the answer and it would be built to replace the Lockheed Martin C-141 Starlifter tactical cargo aircraft.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
