Planes
How the DC-3 Revolutionized Air Travel
Before the legendary aircraft took flight, it took 25 hours to fly from New York to Los Angeles
April 2013 |
By Kathleen Burke
The Tuskegee Airmen Plane's Last Flight
The final voyage of a World War II biplane evokes the exploits of the legendary fighting force
November 2011 |
By Owen Edwards
Tragedy at the Reno Air Races
Air and Space editor Linda Shiner reports on her meeting with pilot Jimmy Leeward and what it was like in the pits that day
September 19, 2011 |
By Linda Shiner, Air and Space magazine
Q and A: Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger
The pilot of US Airways Flight 1549 talks about that fateful day, being a pilot and his future
November 2010 |
By Megan Gambino
An American Who Died Fighting for Indonesia's Freedom
Bobby Freeberg, a 27-year-old pilot from Kansas, disappeared while flying a supply-filled cargo plane over the Indonesian jungle
March 23, 2010 |
By Simon Montlake
Flying With America's Most Famous Female Aviators
Dozens of talented women preceded Amelia Earhart, and thousands have followed, and each has her own groundbreaking story to tell
October 22, 2009 |
By Patricia Trenner
The Ultimate Spy Plane
The SR-71 Blackbird, now featured in the Transformers movie sequel, was faster than a rifle bullet and flew 16 miles above the earth
July 2009 |
By Owen Edwards
The Perils of Bird-Plane Collisions
When airlines want to investigate dangerous bird strikes against planes, they turn to the head of the Smithsonian’s Feather Identification Lab
January 16, 2009 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Sky King
Pan Am founder Juan Trippe turned Americans into frequent fliers
November 2007 |
By Owen Edwards
Seeking Friendlier Skies
Can radar networks eliminate airplane turbulence?
September 01, 2007 |
By Eric Jaffe
Sky Writer
Anne Morrow Lindbergh chronicled the flights made with her celebrated husband
November 2006 |
By Owen Edwards
Crash Junkie
Flight instructor Craig Fuller scales mountains, combs deserts and trudges through wilderness to track down old airplane wrecks
November 2003 |
By Reed Karaim
To Fly!
A new book traces the Wright brothers' triumph 100 years ago to an innovative design and meticulous attention to detail
April 2003 |
By James Tobin
We saw him land!
In a long-lost letter an American woman describes Lindbergh's tumultuous touchdown in Paris—75 years ago this month
May 01, 2002 |
By Smithsonian magazine
Langley's Feat--and Folly
The Smithsonian Secretary assembled a devoted team, a remarkable engine and a plane that wouldn't fly
November 1997 |
By Edwards Park
Howard Hughes
A silver speedster from the 1930s evokes the golden age of flight, a pair of world-class speed records and the early triumphs of Howard Hughes' ultimately tragic life
February 1995 |
By Timothy Foote
