World
Aviation in 1995
5 January
Ben Rich, the designer of the Lockheed F117 Stealth
Fighter, dies in Los Angeles aged 69.
26 January
An explosion during the launch of a communications
satellite at the Xichang Space Centre in China destroys
both the Long March 2E Booster and Hughes Apstar 2
satellite.
26 April
A Lockheed-Martin SR71A flies for the first time after
renovation. Two SR71As are returned to United States Air
Force (USAF) service to carry out reconnaissance flights
after being in storage since 1990.
26 April
A new world altitude record of 27,460 metres (90,092
feet) for Class C1h aircraft is set by a Russian
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG29.
22 June
The result of the United States' Joint Primary Aircraft
Training System (JPATS) joint service trainer competition
is announced and the Beech/British Aerospace (BAe)
version of the Pilatus PC9 turboprop is the winner.
5 July
The first Panavia Tornado F3 leased from the Royal Air
Force (RAF) enters service with the Italian Air Force.
4 August
A new world altitude record for manned, piston-engined
aircraft of 18,545 metres (60,867 feet) is set by a Grob
G820 Strato 1c high altitude environmental research
aircraft.
16 August
An Air France/British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) Concorde
sets a new speed record for a round-the-world flight. The
Concorde returns to John F. Kennedy International Airport
in New York after a journey lasting 31 hours 27 minutes,
staging through Toulouse, Dubai, Bangkok, Guam, Honolulu
and Acapulco.
1 September
A Luftwaffe Panavia Tornado ECR takes part in operation
'Deny Flight' over the former Yugoslavia. This is the
first combat mission flown by a Luftwaffe aircraft since
the end of the Second World War.
12 September
The first of 72 McDonnell Douglas F15S Eagles, ordered
for the Royal Saudi Arabian Air Force, is delivered.
30 September
The Fiat G91 is retired by the Italian Air Force after
over 30 years service. |