Vintage Aircraft

It’s a distinct airplane with a lot of history; the Ford Trimotor, or “Tin Goose,” harks back to a time when passenger air travel was a luxury, ushering in a new era of transcontinental travel with the airline that would later become TWA. The three-engine aircraft was used worldwide for airline transportation, cargo, military service […]

Doc’s Friends continues to conduct flight tests to satisfy the FAA’s flight requirements to be able to bring the airplane on tour. The organization’s media relations and communications liaison Josh Wells said the airplane has flown more than 10 hours since it first took the skies in July after decades of restorative work. Wells said […]

“You push that tip up, and I’ll grab this one.” Raising myself on my toes, I push the tip of the 9-foot propeller upward; the other end drops into Chuck Wentworth’s reach, and he pulls it through. We repeat the procedure a few times, clearing any residual oil from the cylinders, and then move on to the […]

Flying was on hand last week to witness the first official flight of the Junkers F13 replica in Zurich, Switzerland. The near-exact copy of the first all-metal commercial airplane was built by German luxury suitcase maker Rimowa, which unveiled the airplane to great fanfare along with an extravagant party at the historic Dubendorf Airfield. Check […]

Rimowa, a maker of high-end suitcases in Germany that has been in business since the late 1800s, threw a lavish, Golden Age of Aviation-themed party at the Dubendorf Airfield outside Zurich, Switzerland, last Thursday to celebrate the official first flight of its replica Junkers F13 – famed for being the first all-metal commercial airplane. Flying […]

Look up into the skies above Florida’s Spruce Creek Fly-In and you might be treated to a real blast from the past. Pilot Tim Plunkett took his Fokker Dr.I out for an aerial photoshoot over the weekend, resulting in the shots below. Photographer Gary Rosier took these photos of the World War I fighter replica […]

About three weeks after its short first flight, Doc is getting ready to take to the skies again. Following the flight, the B-29 Superfortress, which has been restored by volunteers in Wichita, Kansas, for many years, has undergone a very thorough post-flight inspection. Only a few minor issues were found, none of which will prevent […]

For the first time in 60 years, the B-29 Superfortress named Doc, which has been in restoration in Wichita, Kansas, for many years, took flight once again. There were emotional tears in the crowds of Doc’s Friends volunteers and supporters who watched the massive, shiny all-aluminum World War II bomber lift off from McConnell Air […]

July 15, 2016, marks 100 years of innovation from Boeing. Take a tour through the history of the legendary manufacturer with photos from its storied past to today.

Fifty years ago, on Aug. 12, 1966, the Lear Jet 25 made its maiden flight in Wichita, Kansas. It was the last model to fly before Bill Lear, the inventor of ADF, the 8-track cassette and 150 other things, sold the company in the midst of a crushing recession to the Gates Rubber Co. Many […]