Three-quarters of a century is a timespan long enough to cause people to lose track of events and when they happened. As we consider this year’s 75th anniversary of the U.S. Air Force it might be easy to recall that the Air Force became a distinct military service in 1947, when it was no longer part of the Army.
However, remembering and placing the notable airplanes, people, and events along the service’s timeline can be difficult. Chuck Yeager broke the so-called sound barrier but when did the first supersonic fighters enter regular service with Air Force squadrons? Did the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II make its first flight in 1958 or ’59? How many different aircraft models have the Thunderbirds used in their aerobatic demonstrations?
