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Up From KittyHawk
This Week in Aviation History

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This Week in Aviation History

1903 - 2003
100 Years of Powered Flight
A yearlong series of weekly PSAs

Volume Two
:30 Public Service Announcements


WEEK 27 - JUNE 29-5, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

IT WAS JULY 4TH, 1908 WHEN GLENN CURTIS WON THE SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN TROPHY BY FLYING FOR MORE THAN A MILE OVER HAMMONDSPORT, NEW YORK IN A "JUNE BUG" BIPLANE. THE SPEED FOR THE TRIP WAS A STAGGERING 39-MILES PER HOUR.

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WEEK 28 - JULY 6-12, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

IT WAS JULY 9TH, 1979 WHEN THE VOYAGER 2 SPACE PROBE FLEW WITHIN 399,000 MILES OF JUPITER. VOYAGER’S NEXT STOP DURING ITS JOURNEY WAS NEPTUNE, WHICH TOOK AN ADDITIONAL TEN YEARS TO REACH. 

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WEEK 29 - JULY 13-19, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

TALK ABOUT A WRONG TURN! IT WAS JULY 17TH, 1938 WHEN DOUGLAS CORRIGAN LEFT BROOKLYN NEW YORK FOR SUNNY CALIFORNIA. TO HIS SURPRISE, HE TOUCHED DOWN THE NEXT DAY IN DUBLIN, IRELAND, EARNING HIM THE KNICKNAME "WRONG WAY CORRIGAN.” 

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WEEK 30 - JULY 20-26, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

IT WAS JULY 20TH, 1969, WHEN APOLLO ASTRONAUT NEIL ARMSTRONG BECAME THE FIRST MAN TO WALK ON THE MOON. SETTING FOOT ON THE LUNAR SURFACE, HE UTTERED HIS FAMOUS PHRASE: “THAT’S ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND.” 

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WEEK 31 - JULY 27-02, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

IRV BURROWS MADE THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE F-15 FIGHTER AIRCRAFT AT EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA. THE TWIN-ENGINE F-15 WAS THE FIRST AIRPLANE TO ACCELERATE IN A STRAIGHT UPWARD CLIMB. IT WAS JULY 27TH, 1972. 

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WEEK 32 - AUGUST 3-9, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

AUGUST 6TH, 1945: A US B-29 BOMBER DROPPED THE WORLD’S FIRST ATOMIC BOMB ON HIROSHIMA, JAPAN. NAGASAKI WAS THE SECOND TARGET ON AUGUST 9TH. WORLD WAR II ENDED WITH A JAPANESE SURRENDER SOON AFTER.

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WEEK 33 - AUGUST 10-16, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

AUGUST 15TH, 1935: AMERICANS REMEMBER THE SAD NEWS OF THE CRASH THAT KILLED FAMED PILOT WILEY POST AND HUMORIST WILL ROGERS, BOTH OF WHOM PERISHED AFTER THEIR ORION-EXPLORER CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF NEAR POINT BARROW, ALASKA.

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WEEK 34 - AUGUST 17-23, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

AUGUST 20TH, 1975 MARKED THE DAY THAT THE VIKING ONE MISSION TO MARS WAS LAUNCHED FROM CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA. TEN MONTHS AFTER LEAVING THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE, THE SPACECRAFT BEGAN TO ORBIT THE PLANET, BEFORE SOFT-LANDING ON MARS ONE MONTH LATER.

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WEEK 35 - AUGUST 24-30, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

AMELIA EARHART BECAME THE FIRST WOMAN TO COMPLETE A NON-STOP TRANSCONTINENTAL FLIGHT FROM LOS ANGELES TO NEW YORK CITY, FLYING 2,447.8 MILES IN 19 HOURS AND 5 MINUTES. IT WAS AUGUST 25TH, 1932.

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WEEK 36 - AUGUST 31-6, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

AIRPLANE-TO-AIRPLANE RADIO WAS FIRST DEMONSTRATED AT NORTH ISLAND, CALIFORNIA ON SEPTEMBER 2ND, 1916 WHEN RADIOTELEGRAPH MESSAGES WERE SENT AND RECEIVED AT A DISTANCE OF ABOUT TWO MILES BETWEEN THE AIRPLANES.

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WEEK 37 - SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

IT WAS SEPTEMBER 2ND, 1910 WHEN BLANCHE SCOTT BECAME THE FIRST AMERICAN WOMAN TO FLY SOLO. DESPITE HER HISTORY MAKING FLIGHT, BLANCHE WAS NOT GRANTED A PILOT'S LICENSE. BUT SHE DIDN’T STAY GROUNDED FOR LONG, EVENTUALLY BECOMING AN AIRSHOW STUNT FLYER.

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WEEK 38 - SEPTEMBER 14-20, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

SEPTEMBER 18TH, 1947: THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE SPREAD ITS WINGS AS A SEPARATE MILITARY SERVICE. THE AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION HONORS THIS DATE EACH YEAR DURING ITS NATIONAL CONVENTION IN WASHINGTON, DC, WHERE THE LATEST IDEAS AND TECHNOLOGIES ARE SHOWCASED.

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WEEK 39 - SEPTEMBER 21-27, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

GIVING THE TERM “FLYING BLIND” NEW MEANING, SEPTEMBER 24TH, 1929 MARKED THE DAY THAT JIMMY DOOLITTLE, WHO LATER BECAME KNOWN AS THE MASTER OF THE CALCULATED RISK, MADE THE FIRST ALL-INSTRUMENT FLIGHT AT MITCHELL FIELD, NEW YORK.

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WEEK 40 - SEPTEMBER 28-4, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

A CHILLING DAY UNFOLDED ON OCTOBER 4TH, 1957 AS AMERICANS LEARNED OF THE SOVIET UNION’S SUCCESFUL LAUNCH OF SPUTNIK 1, THE WORLD’S FIRST SATELLITE. THUS BEGAN A SPACE RACE BETWEEN THE U.S. AND RUSSIA THAT LASTED OVER FOUR DECADES.

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WEEK 41 - OCTOBER 5-11, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

IT WAS OCTOBER 11TH, 1968 WHEN THE FIRST APOLLO MISSION SUCCESSFULLY BLASTED INTO SPACE. ABOARD APOLLO 7, WALTER SCHIRRA, JR., DON EISLE AND WALTER CUNNINGHAM CIRCLED THE EARTH FOR 10 DAYS, 20 HOURS AND NINE MINUTES.

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WEEK 42 - OCTOBER 12-18, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

CHUCK YEAGER BROKE THE SOUND BARRIER ON OCTOBER 14TH, 1947 IN THE BELL X-1 AIRCRAFT. NAMED GLAMOROUS GLENNIS, THE X-1 REACHED A SPEED OF MACH 1.06 AND AN ALTITUDE OF 45,000 FEET.

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WEEK 43 - OCTOBER 19-25, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

OCTOBER 21ST, 1947 MARKED THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE NORTHROP YB-49 BOMBER. ALTHOUGH THE PROGRAM WAS EVENTUALLY CANCELLED, THE YB-49’S “FLYING WING” DESIGN WAS THE FORERUNNER OF THE CURRENT B-2 BOMBER, INTRODUCED IN 1989.

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WEEK 44 - OCTOBER 26-1, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

OCTOBER 27TH, 1954: BENJAMIN O. DAVIS, JR., THE FORMER COMMANDER OF THE FAMED TUSKEEGEE AIRMEN, BECAME THE FIRST BLACK GENERAL OFFICER OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE. A WEST POINT GRADUATE, DAVIS WAS THE SON OF THE FIRST BLACK GENERAL OF THE U.S. ARMY.

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WEEK 45 - NOVEMBER 2-8, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

BILLIONAIRE HOWARD HUGHES MADE THE FIRST AND ONLY FLIGHT OF A 400,000 LB. WOODEN FLYING BOAT. KNICKNAMED THE “SPRUCE GOOSE,” THE HUGE CARGO AIRCRAFT BOASTED A 320-FOOT WINGSPAN, THE LARGEST OF ANY AIRCRAFT TO FLY SINCE.

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WEEK 46 - NOVEMBER 9-15, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

WITH A FIVE-GALLON CAN OF GASOLINE STRAPPED TO HIS BACK, WESLEY MAY BRAVELY CLIMBED FROM THE WING OF ONE AIRCRAFT TO THE WING OF ANOTHER WHILE IN FLIGHT, IN THE FIRST KNOWN DEMONSTRATION OF AIR-TO-AIR REFUELING. IT WAS NOVEMBER 12TH, 1921.

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WEEK 47 - NOVEMBER 16-22, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

NOVEMBER 22ND, 1935: EDWIN MUSICK FLEW THE FIRST TRANS-PACIFIC AIRMAIL FLIGHT IN A PLANE DUBBED THE “CHINA CLIPPER.” BEGINNING IN SAN FRANCISCO, THE AIRMAIL ROUTE STOPPED IN HAWAII, MIDWAY ISLAND, WAKE ISLAND, GUAM AND MANILA.

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WEEK 48 - NOVEMBER 23-29, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

SIX TIMES A CHARM! NOVEMBER 28TH, 1983: SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION COMMANDER JOHN YOUNG BECAME THE FIRST PERSON TO MAKE HIS SIXTH SPACE FLIGHT. THE MISSION ABOARD THE SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA WAS ALSO THE FIRST TO INCLUDE SIX CREW MEMBERS.

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WEEK 49 - NOVEMBER 30-6, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

DECEMBER 1ST, 1977: IN TOTAL SECRECY, TEST PILOT BILL PARK MADE THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE XST “HAVE BLUE” AIRCRAFT AT GROOM LAKE, NEVADA. DEVELOPED IN ONLY TWENTY MONTHS, “HAVE BLUE” WAS A PROTOTYPE FOR STEALTH TECHNOLOGY.

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WEEK 50 - DECEMBER 7-13, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

DECEMBER 7TH, 1941: THE JAPANESE WAGED A SURPRISE ATTACK ON THE U.S. NAVAL BASE AT PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII, DURING WHICH 274 ENEMY AIRCRAFT DROPPED MORE THAN 152 TONS OF BOMBS. AMERICA DECLARED WAR SOON AFTER.

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WEEK 51 - DECEMBER 14-20, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

DECEMBER 17TH, 1903: ORVILLE AND WILBUR WRIGHT’S HEAVIER-THAN-AIR POWERED VEHICLE WAS THE FIRST TO SUCCESSFULLY TAKE FLIGHT. THE LONGEST FLIGHT OF THE DAY AT KITTY HAWK, NORTH CAROLINA WAS ORVILLE'S, WHEN HE FLEW 852 FEET IN 59 SECONDS.

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WEEK 52 - DECEMBER 21 - 31, 2003
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THIS IS UP FROM KITTY HAWK: THIS WEEK IN AVIATION HISTORY.

FOR THE AEROSPACE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION AFFILIATE, I'M JOHN TAUTGES.

IT WAS DECEMBER 29TH, 1939 WHEN BILL WHEATLEY MADE THE INITIAL 17-MINUTE TEST FLIGHT OF THE B-24 LIBERATOR PROTOTYPE. MORE THAN 18,000 OF THIS WORLD WAR II-ERA BOMBER WERE BUILT IN LESS THAN SIX YEARS.

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