World
Aviation in 1983
7 January
Marine squadron VMFA-314 at El Toro in California, becomes
the first American unit to become operational with the
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet.
27 January
British Aerospace (BAe) hands over the first of their Sea
Harrier FRS Mk51 aircraft to the Indian Navy .
16 March
After being used to train pilots for 18 years, the Luftwaffe
withdraws the Lockheed F104G and TF104G from service.
29 March
Lufthansa and Swissair receive the first Airbus A310s for
commercial service.
25 April
The Dornier company return to their roots when the
government-backed Dornier Do24TT technology demonstrator
amphibian makes its first flight.
13 June
The first spacecraft to travel beyond the solar system: the
Pioneer, a 10,570 pound United States space probe travelling
at 30,000mph and due to reach first star beyond solar system
32,621 years after launch in 1972, crosses the orbit of
Neptune on its way out of Solar System.
18
June
The Space Shuttle Challenger launches on a mission that will
see the first satellite retrieval and the first American
woman in space. Dr Sally Ride, aged 32, is also the youngest
United States astronaut to date.
8 July
General Dynamics completes its 1,000th F16 aircraft at the
company's Fort Worth factory.
22 July
Australian Dick Smith achieves the first solo
circumnavigation of the globe in a helicopter. Smith makes
the 56,742 kilometre (35,258 mile) journey in stages using a
Bell JetRanger III named 'Australian Explorer'.
19 August
Lockheed completes the 250th and last TriStar at Palmdale in
California.
24 August
A new world distance record for business jets is set by a
Canadair Challenger 601. The aircraft covers 7,023 kilometres
(4,364 miles) between Calgary and London Heathrow in 9 hours
4 minutes.
30 August & 5 September
The first night launch and night landing are made during
Space Shuttle mission STS8. Also the first black Astronaut,
Lieutenant Colonel Guion S. Bluford of the United States Air
Force (USAF), is aboard space shuttle Challenger
September
The launch of the Soviet space vehicle Soyuz T10 ends when
there is an explosion on the launch-pad. The crew escape to
safety.
1 September
269 people are killed as a Soviet aircraft shoots down a
South Korean Boeing 747 near Sokhelin Island.
6 September
The Soviet Union acknowledges that a Sukhoi Su15 of the
Soviet Air Force is responsible for shooting down a Korean
Airlines Boeing 747 with the loss of 269 lives.
15 September
The
Lockheed F117A stealth fighter achieves operational status
with the United States Air Force (USAF) 4450th Tactical
Group.
30 September
The first production McDonnell Douglas (Hughes) AH64A Apache
attack helicopter is completed.
9 December
Boeing completes its 1,000th Model 737 airliner. |