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Stories from Linda Shiner

More Stearmans are flying today—about 1,000—than any other type of World War II trainer. Each one in the group appearing in the Arsenal of Democracy flyover is owned by an individual pilot, all living near Warrenton, Virginia.

Where the Warbirds Come From

Backstories of some of the airplanes in the May 8 D.C. flyover.

A T-6 flies over Washington D.C. last October. Expect many more warbirds on May 8.

Warplanes Over Washington

You want to fly where? It’s not easy getting approval to fly bombers and fighters in the restricted airspace over Washington, D.C.

★ Curtiss P-40 Warhawk ★ An all-metal, 300 mph fighter, the P-40 was the frontline U.S. fighter when the war began. It was made famous by Claire Chennault’s Flying Tigers, who, among other squadrons, painted shark’s teeth on its nose.

P-40 Warhawks and Flying Tigers

★ Lockheed P-38 Lightning ★ Though no Luftwaffe pilot was ever happy to see the P-38 (they called it the “forked-tail devil”), the twin-engine, twin-boom fighter made its reputation in the Pacific, where pilots outfought Mitsubishi A6M Zeros. With speeds in excess of 400 mph, a range of 1,300 miles, and four M2 Browning .50s in its nose, the Lightning was a threat in any theater.

The Fighter That Shot Down Yamamoto

★ Republic P-47 Thunderbolt ★ The heaviest single-engine aircraft of the war, the P-47 was a tail-sitter with wide-stance landing gear and flat-face radial engine giving it the look of an aggressive bull-dog. Its 2,000-hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800 18-cylinder radial engine, boosted by a General Electric turbosupercharger, endowed it with 400+ mph performance up to 40,000 feet. But it frequently flew low to annihilate armored vehicles, trains, gun emplacements, and anything unlucky enough to be under its flight path.

P-47s Did It All

What shaped our solar system? By studying a meteorite that formed before the planets, scientists discovered that magnetic fields played a large part.

A Meteorite Older than Earth Could Tell Us How Planets Were Made

Discovering a solar system in a grain of sand.

Friends and rivals Steve Hinton (left) and Bill “Tiger” Destefani have both flown Destefani’s Mustang Strega to National Air Racing championships.

Reno Crowd Agrees: “Best Race I Ever Saw!”

The Kid won it, but it was the Old Man of Air Racing who gave the fans a finish they’ll never forget.

“Miracle on the Hudson” Hero Gets a Dunking at Oshkosh

…by one of his former passengers

Timothy Reuter with his personal flying robot.

The Drones Are Here to Help

UAVs will make the world a better place, says Pocket Drone inventor Timothy Reuter.

The main gallery of the National Air and Space Museum today....

National Air and Space Museum To Get a Makeover

A $30 million gift from Boeing will pay for the first redesign of the main gallery in 40 years.

Sam Graves is part owner of a Vultee BT-13 Valiant, which he displays at the Wing Nuts Flying Circus in Tarkio, Missouri.

Aviation’s Man in Washington

Congressman Sam Graves represents two groups: the citizens of Missouri’s 6th District and private pilots.

A full-scale Mars Exploration Rover, surrounded by one of its panoramic photos, is the centerpiece of a new exhibit.

Spirit, the First Extraterrestrial Mountain Climber

Mars Rovers Celebrate Their 10th Year

Bush Pilot Hall of Fame

Meet the pilots who created the Alaska bush pilot legend.

During a 2011 performance over Quonset Point, Rhode Island, the Skytypers soloists cross within 50 feet of each other.

World’s Biggest Billboard

Want to get your message across in letters as tall as the Empire State Building and stretching across eight miles of sky? Call The Geico Skytypers.

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History in Flight

Rare warbirds star in a California airshow

Reno Wrap-up

What was hot—and what was not—at the 2009 National Championship Air Races.

First Around the World

For balloonists Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones, the end of one journey marked the beginning of another.

Sullenberger inside an MD-80 in 2001, with daughters Kate (left) and Kelly.

Sully’s Tale

Chesley Sullenberger talks about That Day, his advice for young pilots, and hitting the ditch button (or not)

The North American X-15 in flight.

X-15 Walkaround

A short guide to the fastest airplane ever.

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