Rebecca Maksel

Rebecca Maksel is a senior associate editor at Air & Space.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Tony Rivera and Senior Airmen Jason Bauer and Darryll Morley (all with the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron) provide security for a C-130 Hercules at Balad Air Base, Iraq, January 2006.

Thanks for the Lift

Riding on a Marine Corps C-130 in Iraq had its risks, not all of them expected

Fifty-four truckloads of manuscripts, film, and more moved from cramped quarters at the Garber facility to the archives’ spacious new home at the Udvar-Hazy Center.

The Archives’ Big Move

Fifty-four truckloads of irreplaceable aviation history make the 35-mile trek to the National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center.

It's not just the river: Royal Navy Bomb Disposal team divers lift a World War II-era V-2 rocket from the seabed at Harwich, Essex, in 2012. The rocket was donated to the local sailing club, which had reported the rocket's location to the Essex Police.

What’s Under the Thames?

Almost 100 aircraft were lost in the river during World War II alone, and it's not certain how many are still to be recovered

The 2012 Olympic Games will be protected by (among other things) Starstreak missiles. Here, during Exercise Olympic Guardian in May 2012, a soldier mans a surface-to-air missile.

London’s Armed Rooftops

As the world's athletes put on their game face, the British Army prepares for aerial attack

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Busy British Airports Rely on Virtual Assistants

Holographic help: Holly and Graham are available to assist confused travelers

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To the North Pole…by Balloon

115 years ago today, three Swedish explorers set off on the only attempt ever to reach the Pole by balloon

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Telstar Turns 50

The world's first transatlantic TV broadcast included a quip from President Kennedy and folk dancing in Quebec.

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Robot Fall, Robot Get Up

When the AirBurr flying robot crashes into an obstacle, it rights itself and keeps going

The Tower of London from the Thames.

The Tower Ravens

During World War II, a raven helped alert the city to approaching bombers

The Museum’s America by Air gallery explores the history of commercial aviation in the United States.

Summer at the Smithsonian

Planning a visit to the Museum? We provide some helpful hints.

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The First Airplane Ad

The first newspaper ad for an airplane appeared 103 years ago today.

Spot the Crazy Passenger

Do you ask for exactly three, not four ice cubes in your beverage? Flight attendants might think of you as a problem passenger.

Who do you want to see hovering overhead after you crash? That's right, an Apache AH Mk1.

“Mayday, This is Death 23”

The call that makes every Apache pilot freeze

Stuka dive-bombers during the Blitzkrieg.

Battle Noise School

How psychologists conditioned soldiers and civilians to the sounds of combat during World War II

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Transit of Venus, Then and Now

When you drive to your local observatory to witness the Transit of Venus on Tuesday, spare a thought for the men who sought to witness the spectacle in 1761.

A Supermarine Spitfire F.Mk.VB of RAF 243 Squadron in flight.

Building Spitfires, Slowly

The legendary WWII fighter wasn't so fast getting out of the factory

Swanson's frozen meals first appeared in 1954. Hint: Placing the TV dinner in a decorative basket is not going to help.

He Saved Navy Fliers from Spam

Long before Swanson's TV dinner, there was the Maxson Sky Plate

Painting of Titanic sinking.

Titanic’s Wireless Operators: The Original Texters

Text messaging, from 1912 to 2012

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Get Me to the Derby On Time

The Run for the Roses starts with a flight to Churchill Downs

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Space History Items Bring $1 Million

To buy a piece of space history, you need plenty of cash

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