Today in Aviation History - July

ausrere

ausrere

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Today in Aviation History -- July

July 1

In 1872... Louis Blériot, the pioneer aviator who made the world’s first airplane flight across the English Channel, is born in Cambrai, France. After experimenting first with gliders, he designed and built his own monoplane with a 25-hp engine, which took him across the channel.

In 1903... Amy Johnson, British pilot was born.

In 1911... First US Navy airplane. Curtiss D Triad as Navy A-1, first flown by Lt T G Ellyson. This was followed by a Curtiss A-2 and Wright B-1.

In 1912... Harret Quimby, first woman to cross the English channel in an aircraft, dies during a Harvard-boston aviation meet.

In 1916... Roland Robert Tuck, British fighter ace during World War II was born.

In 1917... A School of Aeronautics is established at the University of Toronto in Canada.

In 1924... Regular transcontinental airmail service forms, NYC-SF.

In 1925... The U.S. Air Mail Service begins overnight flights between New York and Chicago over the Allegheny Mountains.

In 1926... The Royal Swedish Air Force is formed.

In 1931... The first mail delivered by rocket in the United States is claimed by three Struthers, Ohio high school students led by philatelist, John Kiktavi. He sends mail from Struthers to Poland, Ohio.

In 1985... NASA announces the 10 finalists for Teacher in Space.

In 2002... A Russian passenger jet collided with a cargo plane over southern Germany, killing all 69 people on the Russian plane, and the two cargo jet pilots.
 
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July 2

In 1859... Two American balloonists, John Wise and John La Mountain, fly in their balloon from St. Louis, Missouri to Henderson, New York. The 809-mile trip takes 20 hours.

In 1900... The first trial of the first Zeppelin airship, the LZ-1, takes place over Lake Constance, Germany. The first of the rigid, monster airships, it is 420 feet long and contains 16 separate gas-bags with a total capacity of 338,410 cubic feet. It is tentatively successful, and attains a speed of 8½ mph. It is housed in a floating hangar, the first in history.

In 1919... The first crossing of the Atlantic by airship, as well as the first double-crossing (return flight), is made by the British rigid airship, R-34. This giant dirigible, which flies non-stop from Scotland to Long Island, New York, has a 30-man crew and is piloted by Major G.H. Scott.

In 1926... The U.S. Army Air Corps is formed out of the former Air Services. Provisions are made for an assistant secretary of war and a five-year Air Corps expansion program.

In 1926... Distinguish Flying Cross authorized.

In 1937... Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan are lost over the South Pacific near Howland Island in a Lockheed Electra. This was to be her last long-distance attempt.

In 1943... Lt Charles Hall, becomes 1st black pilot to shoot down Nazi plane.

In 1982... Larry Walters using lawn chair & 42 helium balloons, rose to 16,000'.

In 1992... Braniff Airlines (Braniff III) goes out of business.

In 1994... A U.S. Air DC-9 crashed in poor weather at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, killing 37 of the 57 people aboard.
 
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ausrere said:
July 2

In 1992... Braniff Airlines goes out of business.
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The personnel officer in my Viking squadron had decided to resign his commission and step into the world of commercial aviation. He was a pretty decent guy and among several officers who would discuss flying with me as a lowly Airman while on watch in the Ready Room, always teaching me something along the way.

The story I got back was he reported to Dallas for his interview on the morning Braniff announced bankruptcy. :(
 
[SIZE=+1]HOFER'S LUCK RUNS OUT[/SIZE]
July 2, 1944 - The 4th was sent on a fighter sweep to Budapest, Hungary along with the 52nd and 325th Fighter Groups. The Mustangs encountered 75 to 80 Me-109s near the target. The Germans were very aggressive, pressing attacks at all altitudes. Howard Hively destroyed a 109 and was promptly jumped by another which caused him to lose his canopy. It gave him a good crack on the skull and wounded an eye. Despite this, he managed to down two more 109s. Grover Siems was severely wounded in the shoulder, neck and chin but still managed to nurse his P-51 back to Foggia. With his left side paralyzed, he had to kick the gear handle down with his right foot. When he landed he was so weak that he couldn't get the canopy open. He kicked the gun switch on and fired his guns to attract attention. He was sent home in serious condition. Ralph Hofer finally ran out of luck chasing enemy planes on his own. He was last seen over Budapest climbing to engage 20 plus Me-109s. The wreckage of his Mustang, QP-X, and his body were later found in Mostar, Yugoslavia.
This mission had been tough. After this the 4th pilots were much more cordial to the 15th AF pilots. Apparently, there was a war going on in southern Europe after all.
 
KennyFlys said:
The personnel officer in my Viking squadron had decided to resign his commission and step into the world of commercial aviation. He was a pretty decent guy and among several officers who would discuss flying with me as a lowly Airman while on watch in the Ready Room, always teaching me something along the way.

The story I got back was he reported to Dallas for his interview on the morning Braniff announced bankruptcy. :(
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After seeing your reply, it dawned on me that the 1992 date didn't seem right. I was just out of High School when Braniff went under, and it certainly wasn't 1992 when I graduated... so I dug a little bit. The last version of Braniff Airways, also dubbed "Braniff III", was formed in 1991, and subsequently went bankrupt in 1992. The original Braniff International Airlines existed from 1928-1982. Braniff Inc emerged from the assests of the orignal bankrupcy and operated from 1983-1990. Then the last incarnation was Braniff Airways that operated from 1991-1992.

So..I learned something (hence the reason I started this history thread to begin with), I didn't know there were so many flavors of Braniff. :)
 
ausrere said:
After seeing your reply, it dawned on me that the 1992 date didn't seem right. I was just out of High School when Braniff went under, and it certainly wasn't 1992 when I graduated... so I dug a little bit. The last version of Braniff Airways, also dubbed "Braniff III", was formed in 1991, and subsequently went bankrupt in 1992. The original Braniff International Airlines existed from 1928-1982. Braniff Inc emerged from the assests of the orignal bankrupcy and operated from 1983-1990. Then the last incarnation was Braniff Airways that operated from 1991-1992.

So..I learned something (hence the reason I started this history thread to begin with), I didn't know there were so many flavors of Braniff. :)
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Oops! At quick glance, I thought it said 1982. I didn't even know there was a third attempt.
 
July 3


In 1919... Designed and built by the Engineering Division of the U.S. Bureau of Aircraft Production, the first of four XB-1As (originally designated USXB-1A) makes its first flight at McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio.

In 1920... Royal Air Force holds an air display at Hendon, England.

In 1936... The first C-class Empire flying boat built by Shorts as the S.23 design, makes a brief 14-min. first flight piloted by John Lankester Parker.

In 1970... British aircraft crashes at Barcelona, 112 killed.

In 1976... Israel launches rescue of 103 Air France crew & passengers being held at Entebbe Airport in Uganda by pro-Palestinian hijackers.

In 1981... The first international service with the Ilyushin Il-86 begins with an Aeroflot flight from Moscow to East Berlin, East Germany.

In 1987... 2 men, Per Lindstrand and Richard Branson, became 1st hot-air balloon travelers to cross Atlantic. Their balloon, at the time, is the largest ever flown at 2.3 million cubic feet of capacity.

In 1988... US Vincennes in Strait of Hormoez shoots Iran Airbus A300, kills 290

In 2002... Steve Fossett completes round-the-world balloon flight, landing after 14 days, 19hrs. He broke three balloon records along the way; fastest time around the world (13 days, 3 mins),longest distance flown solo (20,483.25 mi; 32,963.35 km), and longest time flown solo (355 hrs, 50 min).
 
July 4

In 1908... The Zeppelin LZ-4 makes a 12-hour flight crossing the Alps. It covers the 235 miles from Friedrichshafen to Zürich and reaches speeds of 32 mph.

In 1908... Glenn H Curtiss flew more than a mile at Hammondsport NY in the AEA's June Bug, bringing him the Scientific American trophy. Fitted with wingtip ailerons, it also brought a lawsuit by the Wrights over infringement of their patent.

In 1927... The first flight of the Lockheed Vega, an influence in the design of later, larger transport of the 1930’s, takes place.

In 1937... First successful helicopter flight. Hanna Reitsch, a German pilot, flew Dr. Heinrich Focke's FW-61 in free, fully controlled flight at Bremen. Ms. Reitsch was also the first woman civil and military aviation test pilot.

In 1942... US air offensive against nazi-Germany begins.

In 1944... Allied assault on Carpiquet airport at Caen.

In 1956... A Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft makes its first operational overflight. It is designed to fly at supersonic speeds and photograph the earth from 60,000 feet.

In 2002...Benjamin O. Davis Jr., leader of the famed all-black Tuskegee Airmen during World War II and the first black general in the Air Force, died in Washington at age 89.
 
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ausrere said:
July 4


In 1956... A Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft makes its first operational overflight. It is designed to fly at supersonic speeds and photograph the earth from 60,000 feet.
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??? I think they made a slight error here. And from a radio conversation that was related to me in a class at some unnamed Air Force base back in 1976, I think it could go a touch higher than 60,000. "MIA tower: "We have thunderclouds to 80,000 feet", U2: "Yeah, I can see them down there." :eek:
 
July 5

In 1912... Captain Charles Chandler and Lieutenants Thomas Milling and Henry Arnold are presented with certificates qualifying them as the U.S.’s first “Military Aviators.”

In 1927... Lady Bailey establishes a new light airplane altitude record of 17,283 feet, in a de Havilland D.H. 60 Moth, at the company’s airfield in Edgeware, Middlesex.

In 1940... The first American paratrooper unit is formed at Fort Benning, Georgia.

In 1944... The first U.S. rocket-powered military aircraft, the MX-324, flies at Harper Dry Lake, California. The pilot, Harry Crosby, makes the voyage.

In 1954... B-52A bomber made its maiden flight.

In 1970... Air Canada DC-8 crashes 7 miles from Toronto's airport killing 109.

In 1979... French aviation pioneer and aircraft manufacturer Emile Dewoitine dies at the age of 87.
 
July 6

In 1919... The first person to arrive in the United States by air from Europe is Englishman Flt. Lt. J. E. M. Pritchard. He arrives with the airship R.34, which has entered American skies after leaving Scotland on July 2 to cross the North Atlantic.

In 1924... Robert Michael White, NYC, test pilot (X-15) was born.

In 1939... First Autogyro air mail service. Eastern Air Lines, from Philadelphia Post Office to Camden NJ, in a Kellett KD-1B.

In 1951... The first in-flight refueling under combat conditions is made by four US RF-80 A’s, refueled by a KB-29 tanker.

In 1960... Sikorsky’s S-62 amphibious helicopter wins federal approval for operation as a commercial passenger aircraft.

In 1996... a Delta MD88 jetliner's left engine blew apart during an aborted takeoff from Pensacola, Fla., sending metal pieces ripping into the cabin, killing a mother and her son.
 
July 7

In 1914... American physics professor, Robert H. Goddard receives a patent for his two-stage solid fuel rocket.

In 1929... Transcontinental Air Transport Inc. inaugurates a 48-hour combined rail and air passenger service from coast to coast in the U.S. Colonel Charles Lindbergh flies the first plane over the air route.

In 1950... 1st Farnborough airshow held.

In 1960... USSR shoots down a US aircraft over Barents sea.

In 1962... Colonel Georgi Mossolov sets a new world absolute speed record for airplanes, flying the Mikoyan Ye-166 at 1,665.89 mph.

In 1981... The first solar-powered aircraft flight across the English Channel is made by the MacCready Solar Challenger. The 180 mile flight takes over 5 hours and is powered by at least 16,128 solar cells on the upper surfaces of the wing and tailplane.
 
July 8

In 1838... Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin is born in Baden, Germany. The first large-scale builder and pioneer of rigid dirigible balloons, Zeppelin made his first balloon ascent while serving as a volunteer and observer for the Union Army in America’s Civil War.

In 1908... Thérése Peltier becomes the first woman to ascend in an airplane when Delagrange, her instructor, takes her up. She flies about 656 feet at a height of 13 feet.

In 1943... British air raid sinks U-232.

In 1953... New York Airways, America’s first scheduled passenger helicopter carrier, begins service.

In 1966... US airline strike begins and lasts until Aug 19th.
 
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July 9

In 1910... Walter Brookins attains an altitude of 6,175 feet in a Wright biplane, becoming the first to fly a mile high and wins a prize of $5,000 for his feat.

In 1924... The first recorded flight of a live bull takes place when champion breeder Nico V is flown from Rotterdam, Holland to Paris, France. The bull is carried by KLM in a Fokker F.III transport aircraft.

In 1933... Flying their Lockheed Sirius built in 1929 and used for the 1931 survey flight of Alaska, the North Pacific and
China, Charles Lindbergh and his wife begin a major route-proving tour of the North and South Atlantic. They complete their survey on December 6.
 
July 10

In 1938... "Yankee Clipper" completes 1st passenger flight over Atlantic.

In 1938... Howard Hughes, with crewmembers Harry Connor, Tom Thurlow, Richard Stoddart and Ed Lund, begin a record-breaking round-the-world flight in a specially modified Lockheed Super Electra. They cut in half the time set by Wiley Post in 1933; their flying time is 71 hours, 11 minutes, 10 seconds.

In 1940... The fourth Messerschmitt Bf 109F series prototype makes its first flight in Germany, powered by one of the new 1,350-hp Daimler Benz DB 601E.

In 1945... U.S. carrier-based aircraft begin airstrikes against Japan in preparation for invasion.

In 1978... Airbus Industrie announces a decision to proceed with development of the A300B10, a shortened version of the A300 with a capacity of 225 passengers, compared to 281 on the B2 and B4. The designation is later changed to the A310.
 
In 1924... The first recorded flight of a live bull takes place when champion breeder Nico V is flown from Rotterdam, Holland to Paris, France. The bull is carried by KLM in a Fokker F.III transport aircraft.
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There's a naughty joke in there somewhere! LOL!
 
July 11

In 1922... An international convention for the regulation of air navigation begins.

In 1935... Laura Ingalls arrives in Burbank, California after an 18-hour flight from Floyd Bennett Field, New York, making her the first woman to fly east to west across the United States.

In 1942... In the longest bombing raid of World War II, 1,750 British Lancaster bombers attack the Polish port of Danzig.

In 1943... US 82nd Airborne division shot at, by "friendly fire" in Sicily.

In 1948... 1st air bombing of Jerusalem.

In 1955... The U.S. Air Force Academy is dedicated at its temporary location, Lowry Air Force Base. First class of 306 Cadets are sworn in at Lowry and were housed in renovated World War II barracks until the Colorado Springs location construction was complete in August 1958.

In 1962... Cosmonaut Micolaev set then record longest space flight - 4 days.
 
In 1935... Laura Ingalls arrives in Burbank, California after an 18-hour flight from Floyd Bennett Field, New York, making her the first woman to fly east to west across the United States.
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At first I thought this might be the maiden name of Laura Ingalls Wilder, of "Little House on the Prairie" fame. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Ingalls_(aviator) set me straight.
 
ausrere said:
July 10

In 1938... Howard Hughes, with crewmembers Harry Connor, Tom Thurlow, Richard Stoddart and Ed Lund, begin a record-breaking round-the-world flight in a specially modified Lockheed Super Electra. They cut in half the time set by Wiley Post in 1933; their flying time is 71 hours, 11 minutes, 10 seconds.
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Had quite a career. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Electromagnetic Compatibility Society's (EMCS) Richard R Stoddart Award for Outstanding Performance (the top award given by the Society) was named after him, and will be given to the next awardee today (7/12) at it's annual international symposium in Honolulu, Hawaii. I've used test equipment manufactured by the Stoddart Aircraft Radio Company. Yeah, I'm old. What can I say?
 
July 12

In 1785... 1st manned flight by gas balloon in Netherlands.

In 1901... Alberto Santos-Dumont, making an attempt on the Deutsch prize in Paris, lands his dirigible No.5 in the Trocadéro gardens after one of the cords controlling the rudder snaps. He uses a ladder to repair the machine where it
lies before taking off again.

In 1941... Moscow is bombed by the German Luftwaffe for the first time.

In 1957... "Ike" became the first president to fly in a helicopter. President Eisenhower becomes the first U.S. president to fly in a helicopter when he is flown from the White House to an unnamed military post in a USAF Bell UH-13J.

In 1977... 1st free flight test of space shuttle Enterprise.
 
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July 13

In 1909... If brief hops by Alliott Verdon Roe on June 8, 1908 are discounted, the first flight made by an Englishman in an English airplane takes place when Roe flies his Roe I triplane for the first time at Lea Marsches in Essex. He flies only 100 ft., but on July 23 he extends the distance to some 900 ft. off the ground.

In 1919... The British military airship R.34, operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF), accomplishes the first two-way transatlantic air crossing. The outward journey is also the first air crossing of the Atlantic from east to west.
 
July 14

In 1914... Dr. Robert H. Goddard is granted a patent for his liquid fuel rocket engine.

In 1927... 1st commercial airplane flight in Hawaii.

In 1934... Flamboyant flying tycoon Howard Hughes lands in New York after a record-breaking flight around the Northern Hemisphere.

In 1937... A Soviet crew breaks the world distance flying record by staying airborne for over two days while flying from Moscow over the North Pole.

In 1940... A force of German bombers attacks Suez, Egypt, from bases in Crete.

In 1948... Six Royal Air Force (RAF) Vampires land after completing the first transatlantic flight made by jet aircraft.

In 1993... Aeroflot starts non-stop flights between Moscow & NY.
 
July 15

In 1916... Boeing Co., originally known as Pacific Aero Products, was founded in Seattle by Timber merchant William E. Boeing.

In 1923... Dobrolet, the Soviet state airline, opens its first scheduled domestic service, between Moscow and Nizhniy Novgorod.

In 1925... Dr. A. Hamilton Rice’s expedition to the Amazon to explore the headwaters of the Amazon, the first exploration by airplane, returns safely.

In 1929... 1st airport hotel opens-Oakland Ca.

In 1933... Wiley Post began 1st solo flight around world in a Lockheed Vega, Winnie Mae.

In 1939... Clara Adams (NYC) is 1st woman to complete round world flight.

In 1942... The first supply flight from India to China over the 'Hump' is flown.

In 1952... 1st transatlantic helicopter flight begins.

In 1954... The Boeing 707 prototype, the model 367-80, made its maiden flight from Renton Field, south of Seattle.

In 1968... The first direct airline service between the Soviet Union and the U.S. is inaugurated, ten years after negotiations began.

In 1975... The first international manned space flight occurs between the Soviet Soyuz 19 and an Apollo spacecraft.
 
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July 16

In 1912... Naval torpedo launched from an airplane patents by B A Fiske.

In 1921... Cambridge wins the first air race between Oxford and Cambridge universities, using S.E. 5as. airplanes.

In 1930... Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA) is formed when Transcontinental Air Transport and Western Air Express merge.

In 1947... Geoffrey Tyson test-pilots the first jet fighter to be modified as a flying boat.

In 1957... First transcontinental supersonic flight. USAF Maj John Glenn in a Vought F8U. Los Alamitos CA to Floyd Bennett Field NY, 03h:22m:50s, v (avg): 723.517.

In 1962... NASA civilian Test pilot Joseph A Walker takes X-15 to 32,600 m.

In 1969... Apollo 11 blasted off from Cape Kennedy, Fla., on the first manned mission to the surface of the moon.

In 1985... F-86 Sabre sets world aircraft speed record of 1152 kph (716 mph).

In 1999... John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, Carolyn, and her sister, Lauren Bessette, died when their single-engine plane, piloted by Kennedy, plunged into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha's Vineyard, Mass.
 
July 17

In 1908... The USA’s first aviation legislation is passed: a municipal ordinance requiring an annual license and regulating aircraft within the city limits of Kissimmee, Florida.

In 1910... Mile-High altitude record. Walter Brookins climbed 6,234' (>6,175') into the sky over Atlantic City NJ in his new Wright Model A, for which he was awarded a $5,000 prize.

In 1917... Ground is broken for the first building of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Langley Field laboratory.

In 1938... Wrong Way Corrigan flight begun.

In 1975... In 1975, an Apollo spaceship docked with a Soyuz spacecraft in orbit in the first superpower linkup of its kind.

In 1989... 1st Test flight of US stealth-bomber.

In 1996... TWA Flight 800, a Paris-bound Boeing 747, exploded and crashed off Long Island, N.Y., shortly after leaving John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing all 230 people aboard.
 
ausrere said:
In 1996... TWA Flight 800, a Paris-bound Boeing 747, exploded and crashed off Long Island, N.Y., shortly after leaving John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing all 230 people aboard.
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Man, that crash sure brought out the conspiracy nuts. In stead, it was just some latent fuel vapor.
 
ausrere said:
In 1938... Wrong Way Corrigan flight begun.
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Corrigan is one of my favorite aviation characters. this is why I was up at 3 AM two weeks ago to watch the Flying Irishman.

KennyFlys said:
Man, that crash sure brought out the conspiracy nuts. In stead, it was just some latent fuel vapor.
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ah Kenny, dont you mean shoulder fired missile?
 
KennyFlys said:
Naww... the only firings going on were the sparks in the fuel tank and the brain farts in the conspiracy nuts.
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That's what they want us to believe!:hairraise::yes:

And yes, we watched Flying Irishman too, though we Tivo'd it. I have to say that Corrigan didn't do a very good job of playing himself! Came across as very wooden. I know that I would have felt uncomfortable with him as an airline captain, too. Way too undisciplined. A few hazardous attitudes, too!
 
if you think the movie was bad you should've read the book. a fun story but the guy had about a 5th grade education and it showed in his writing.
 
ausrere said:
July 9

In 1910... Walter Brookins attains an altitude of 6,175 feet in a Wright biplane, becoming the first to fly a mile high and wins a prize of $5,000 for his feat.
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ausrere said:
July 17

In 1910... Mile-High altitude record. Walter Brookins climbed 6,234' (>6,175') into the sky over Atlantic City NJ in his new Wright Model A, for which he was awarded a $5,000 prize.
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Did he do this on July 9th or the 17th or did he do it twice and win $5,000 each time?

Edit: No one seems to know when:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Richard_Brookins said:
On July 10, 1910 at Atlantic City in New Jersey, he flew to an altitude of 1,882 m (6,175 ft) in his Wright biplane, becoming the first person to fly at an altitude of one mile
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Edit 2:
Looks like July 17 is wining
http://richard.arthur.norton.googlepages.com/walterrichardbrookinsbibliography said:
New York Times; June 18, 1910; Brookins in Airship Soars 4,503 Feet; He Breaks World's Record for Altitude at Indianapolis in Flight of 1 1/2 Hours. Indianapolis, Indiana; June 17, 1910. Walter Brookins, in a Wright biplane, broke the world's aeroplane record for altitude today, when he soared to a height of 4,503 feet, according to the measurement of the altimeter. His motor stopped as he was descending, and he made a cross-country glide of two miles, landing easily in a wheat field.
Washington Post; June 18, 1910; Motor Clogs Far Aloft, but Brookins Descends Safely. Breaks Altitude Record. Daring Aviator, in Wright Biplane, Reaches Height of 4,503 Feet Over the Indianapolis Speedway. Lands After Accident in Wheat Field, Where Farmer With Shotgun Awaits Tresspassers. Indianapolis, Indiana, June 17, 1910. Walter Brookins, in a Wright biplane, broke the world's aeroplane record for altitude today, when he soared to a height of 4,603 feet, according to the measurement of the altimeter. His motor stopped as he was descending, and he made a glide of 2 miles, landing easily in a wheat field.
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Missa said:
Did he do this on July 9th or the 17th or did he do it twice and win $5,000 each time?

Edit: No one seems to know when:

Edit 2:
Looks like July 17 is wining
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You know..I'm beginning to worry about NASA's record keeping abilities. Most of these discrepancies we find are from two different databases maintained or sanctioned by them (like Centennial of Flight's web site). When I have time, and I notice, I'll do the digging and find out which one is correct. But I don't always have the time... I know you guys will help me sort it out. :D

For instance. Centinnial of flight says July 17, 1969 is when Apollo 11 was launched. But NASA's main web site says it was July 16, 1969. Both sites are maintained by NASA personnel yet give completely different dates. I've found this to be true several times.
 
im pretty sure that 11 launched the 16th. probably left earth orbit on the 17th enroute for the moon.
 
KennyFlys said:
Is the ".gov" web page extension any clue? :D
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Should be huh. :D But you'd THINK of all people, NASA would know when they launched a rocket with three guys bound for the moon sitting at the top of it for crying out loud. :hairraise:
 
tonycondon said:
im pretty sure that 11 launched the 16th. probably left earth orbit on the 17th enroute for the moon.
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True.. But the Centennial sites says, "July 17, 1969...The Apollo 11 Saturn V rocket blasts off from the Florida Space Center in route to the first moon landing." Which is wrong.

So feel free to point out errors in data guys, but don't shoot the messenger if she doesn't catch NASA's goofs. This job doesn't pay me enough to double check NASA's record keeping. :no: :D
 
I think I found part of the problem. In the Apollo 11 cite, the Centennial of Flight website attributes "Editor-in-Chief: Bill Gunston, Aviation: Year by Year, Amber Books Limited, London, UK, 2001." as the source. I suppose it could have been the 17th in London when Apollo 11 blasted off (I haven't found the time of the launch yet), but you'd think that since the site is maintained by a US government agency, they wouldn't need to rely on a UK author to verify it's own dang space launch data and would have known to double check that the dates and times were local.

Then again, we are talking about the same agency that's had problems converting from US measurements to Metric on space launches too. :dunno:
 
according to wikipedia, 11 launched at 13:32 GMT on the 16th.
 
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