Two Navy Carrier Air Wings May Cease Operations Due to Budget Woes

The US Navy has stated that two of their 10 carrier air wings may have to literally stop operations due to a lack of funding. In addition, the Navy says two more air wings will have to operate at minimum levels of only 11 flight hours per month for each pilot. Any military pilot will […]

Today in Aviation History: 1951 First Flight of the Douglas F4D Skyray

January 23, 1951 marked the first flight of the Douglas F4D Skyray carrier based fighter/interceptor jet. The F4D Skyray was the first US Navy and Marine Corps jet that could exceed Mach 1 in level flight and it held the world’s absolute speed record at just under 753 miles per hour. This airspeed record was a first for […]

Navy Aircraft Carrier Gerald R. Ford May Be Ready in April

Thursday, a US Navy spokeswoman said the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier may be delivered as soon as April of this year. The ship is the most technologically advanced and most expensive aircraft carrier ever built and represents a new class of carrier called the ‘Ford Class’. Watch the Gerald R. Ford Christening Newport News […]

Aviation History: McDonnell FH Phantom – First Carrier Based Jet Aircraft

On 21 July 1946, a prototype McDonnell FH Phantom became the first jet only powered aircraft to successfully takeoff and land from a US Navy aircraft carrier. Operating from the Franklin D. Roosevelt off the shores of Norfolk, Virginia the FH Phantom flown by Lt.Cmdr. James Davidson completed four takeoffs and landings. The Roosevelt had a […]

Could we defeat China’s growing military?

Earlier this week, China’s sole aircraft carrier, accompanied by five additional naval vessels, entered the northern half of the embroiled South China Sea. Tensions have been high in the region over the past months due in large part to China’s expanding claims over what is considered by most other nations to be international waters, as […]

Watch: China Sails 1st Aircraft Carrier Past Taiwan – Performs Live Fire Exercises

In a show of force, China announced that their only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning has successfully carried out live fire exercises and is combat ready. Accompanied by multiple ships, the Liaoning launched their J-15 fighters and participated in a variety of exercises which included airborne attacks. China moved the carrier into the contested South China Sea on […]

Remember Pearl Harbor! Photos You Have Never Seen Before

At 0748 Sunday morning December 7th, 1941 the Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. More than 350 Imperial Japanese bombers, fighter planes and torpedo planes attacked the island after being launched from six aircraft carriers. 2,403 Americans were killed, eight US Navy battleships were damaged with four being sunk,  and more 185 US aircraft were […]