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Stories from Rebecca Maksel

Louis Blériot

Mustache March

Handlebar, pencil, or toothbrush? A gallery of famous aviators’ ‘staches in honor of a fuzzy Air Force tradition.

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Lunar History For Sale

A 16th-century telescope, Lunar Orbiter mission documents, early views of deep space, and more go on auction this week.

A de Havilland Mosquito HJ711, Elvington, Yorkshire Air Museum, England.

Pippo: A World War II Mystery

Why does the solitary night fighter call out for a nickname?

Our Favorite Children’s Books of 2012

The year’s best aviation- and space-themed books for young readers

Researchers at the University of Queensland note that male crocodiles "have remarkable navigational skills."

Crocodiles on a Plane

Sometimes passengers and crew are downright inhuman

Airman 1st Class Nathan Fitzwater uses camouflaging and face point to maintain his cover at Anderson Air Force Base, Guam.

The Air Force Survival Guide (Don’t Leave Home Without it)

Find yourself in a hostile environment? The Air Force knows what to do.

The USS Enterprise’s Last Tour

After 51 years of service, the historic aircraft carrier is about to be decommissioned

University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers Matt Waite (left) and Carrick Detweiler use a Falcon 8 UAV to document the effects of drought on the Platte River.

Robot Reporters

Will UAVs become as indispensable for journalists as notepads and digital recorders?

Asleep at the Wheel

Driving a drone is (apparently) nothing like playing World of Warcraft

Model airplane powered by...flies.

Fly-Powered Planes and Other Oddities

Oddball items at the National Air and Space Museum

An airway marking on an unidentified 12-story building, presumably in the Atlanta area, circa early 1930's.

Pilots, Look Down

To find their way home, aviators used to be able to read the rooftops

Spiders at 30,000 Feet: A Louise Bourgeouis sculpture outside the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.

Spooky Skies

Just in time for Halloween, a collection of aviation mysteries

The job we all dream of: crashing a Boeing 727 in the name of science.

Crash Test TV

Destroying a 727 in the name of science…and entertainment

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The Hemingways Go Flying

The macho man of American Letters was a nervous flier. His wife was another story

George Orwell wrote for the BBC from August 18, 1941 to November 24, 1943. His broadcasts were heard in India, Malaya, and Indonesia.

Alarming Reports from George Orwell

In the weeks leading up to the Blitz, Londoners were still learning how to respond to air-raid warnings

Whenever possible, original materials are saved. Project lead David Wilson (left) and chief conservator Malcolm Collum examine original fabric patches, used to cover bolt holes in the wing.

In the Museum: Painting History

Restoring the sole surviving Heinkel He 219.

Phyllis Diller arrives at Korat Air Base, Thailand, with the Bob Hope Christmas show, 1966.

Remembering Phyllis Diller

A story from when the famed comedian joined Bob Hope on his USO tours

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Carlotta, the Lady Aeronaut

An 1880 balloon jaunt ends with our heroine up a tree

A E-2C Hawkeye on the flight deck of the USS Harry S. Truman, circa 2005. Each ship has a sponsor—a living woman, normally a civilian—who is considered a permanent member of the ship's crew, and is considered to bestow a part of her personality to the ship.

How Do You Name an Aircraft Carrier?

It’s not as straightforward as you think

On August 17, 1946, Sergeant Lawrence Lambert volunteered to be hurtled from his P-61 at the speed of 302 miles per hour.

Take a Seat

Sixty-six years ago this week, Sergeant Lawrence Lambert became the first person in the U.S. to be ejected from a high-speed aircraft

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