World Aviation in 2003

The first deliveries of the F/A-22 Raptor aircraft are made to 422nd Test & Evaluation Wing based at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

The MBDA Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) is officially launched, with plans that the missile will enter service in 2011.

February 1
The United States Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates on re-entry, killing all seven astronauts. The wreckage falls over California, Arizona and Texas.

February 5 - 9
Euro-India show is held at Bangalore
Fina Air begins services.

May 25
Boeing 727 mysteriously disappears in Angola, along with pilot Ben Charles Padilla.

August 11
The Spirit of Butts Farm becomes the first flight across the Atlantic by a computer-controlled model aircraft.

Skip Holm, flying the modified P-51D 'Dago Red', sets a new closed-course piston-engine speed record of 507 mph at the Reno Air Races.

October 15
Yang Liwei becomes the People's Republic of China's first man in space.

October 24
the Concorde makes its last scheduled commercial flight.

November 26
the last "retirement" Concorde flight.

December 17
on the anniversary of the Wright Flyer's achievement, SpaceShipOne is the first privately built, manned aircraft to fly faster than the speed of sound,

December 25
United Transit 141 crashes in Benin, spreading rumours that it is the Boeing 727 that disappeared earlier during the year.

December
The 100th birthday of aviation has begun.

First flights

March 7
HAL HJT-36

May 20
SpaceShipOne

July 28
Adam A700 AdamJet