World
Aviation in 1999
5 January
The first engagements between United States and Iraqi
aircraft for seven years take place over the southern
Iraqi 'no-fly' zone. The United States McDonnell Douglas
F15s and F14s fire six missiles at the Iraqi
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG25s but all the Iraqi aircraft
escape.
29 March
A Ryan RQ4A Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance aircraft
is destroyed in a crash at China Lake Naval Air Station.
21 March
Hot
air balloon 'Breitling Orbiter 3' completes the first
non-stop, round the world balloon flight. This sets a new
distance record for any type of aircraft of 40,804
kilometres (25,360 miles).
30 March
The 1,000th McDonnell Douglas AH-64 Apache helicopter is
delivered. The Apache has been in service with the United
States Army for 15 years.
14 April
In Australia a Boeing 737 is badly damaged by hailstones
while taxi-ing.
22 April
A Boeing 727 is damaged beyond repair by a heavy hail
storm when landing at Johannesburg.
14 May
The United States Marine Corps (USMC) takes delivery of
its first Bell Boeing MV22B Osprey tilt-rotor.
11 June
A new company, Aerospatiale Matra, has been formed in
France. It is the second largest aerospace company in
Europe and the 5th largest in the world.
18 August
The formation of a Franco-Russian private partnership to
build a prototype Mil38 helicopter, weighing 15 tons and
capable of carrying 30 passengers, is announced.
26 October
A Learjet 35 crashes in South Dakota killing all five
occupants, including the United States golfer Payne
Stewart. It is believed that the aircraft's occupants
lost consciousness as the result of a pressurisation
failure.
14 December
Boeing unveils the X32A and X32B Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)
demonstrator, which will be used to develop conventional
take-off and landing and Vertical/Short Take-Off and
Landing (V/STOL) versions.
22 December
A Korean Air Boeing 747 freighter crashes after
taking-off from Stanstead, killing all four people on
board.
24 December
After one passenger is murdered, the Indian Government
allows the highjackers of an Indian Airlines Airbus A300
to go free in order to safeguard the lives of the other
150 passengers. |