Page 7 - Aerotech News and Review, May 27, 2022

On this date ...
May 29, 1951: Flying a North American Aviation P-51C Mustang, Excalibur III, Pan Am World Airways Capt. Charles F. Blair flew from Bardufoss, Norway, to Fairbanks, Alaska, via the North Pole. This was the first solo flight over the North Pole, and Blair flew the 3,260 miles, non-stop in 10 hours, 27 minutes. Blair had to navigate by using a system of pre-plotted sun lines, as a magnetic compass was useless near the Pole and there were no radio navigation aids available. For this flight, Blair was presented the Harmon International Trophy by President Harry S. Truman, in a ceremony at the White House, Nov. 18, 1952.
May 29, 1963: Lockheed Test Pilot Anthony W. “Tony” LeVier and his 18-year-old daughter, Toniann LeVier, flew the company’s two- place TF-104G Starfighter demonstrator from Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, Calif., to Andrews Air Force Base, Md. “I’m still tingling. That sudden surge of power made me feel like we were taking off for outer space, but it’s just as easy to fly as a light plane,” said Toniann.
May 30, 1958: The Douglas Aircraft Company DC-8 passenger plane took off from Long Beach, Calif., on its first flight. The DC-8 climbed over the Pacific, made a pre-planned set of flight maneuvers and systems checks, before heading to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., where the full flight test program was to take place.
June 1, 1953: The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Team, the Thunderbirds, was officially activated June 1, 1953, as the 3600th Air Demonstration Team at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. Their first aircraft was the straight-winged F-84G Thunderjet, a combat fighter-bomber that had seen action in Korea. Early in 1955 the team transitioned to the swept-winged F-84F Thunderstreak.
May 30, 1972: The Northrop YA- 9A Cobra specialized ground attack aircraft made its first flight, flown by company test pilot Lew Nelson. The aircraft subsequently lost the A-X competitive prototype fly off against the A-10, and never went into production.
June 3, 1965: Gemini IV launched from Florida with astronauts James McDivitt and Edward White on board. This was the second crewed spaceflight in NASA’s Project Gemini. The highlight of the mission was the first space walk by an American, during which White floated free outside the spacecraft, tethered to it, for approximately 20 minutes. The flight also included the first attempt to make a space rendezvous as McDivitt attempted to maneuver his craft close to the Titan II upper stage which launched it into orbit, but this was not successful.
Thank you for your service and sacrifice.
@SupervisorBarger @SupervisorKathrynBarger
@KathrynBarger KathrynBarger.LACounty.gov
May 27, 2022
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