Alec Wignall is AeroTime columnist
Specialization
Aviation History
38 years of Virgin Atlantic
What started as a single aircraft operation 38 years ago has grown into a global airline, Virgin Atlantic....
Aviation History
Defining moments in aviation: the story of Trans Australia Flight 538
The mysterious Trans Australia Airlines Flight 538 crash in Australia and lack of clues proved to be a defining moment i...
Aviation History
The story of Air France Flight 447
The disappearance of Air France Flight 447 sent shockwaves around the world. The wreckage took two years to find, and an...
Aviation History
Landing in Red Square: the daring flight of Mathias Rust
On this day in 1987, teenager Mathias Rust, an aviator from West Germany, breached Soviet air defenses and landed a Cess...
Aviation History
Lindbergh and the first non-stop solo transatlantic flight
Charles Lindbergh landed in Paris on this day 95 years ago, having completed the first solo non-stop flight across the A...
Aviation History
25 Years of Star Alliance
On this day, 25 years ago, the Star Alliance was founded. But what began as five airlines, has today grown to include 26...
Aviation History
18 years on from the merger of Air France and KLM
On this day, 18 years ago, Air France and KLM merged to create one of the world’s largest airline groups....
Defense
Planespotting: RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath, home of the USAF
Planespotting: up close and personal with the USAF. F-15s, Osprey and C-130 aircraft based at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lak...
Aviation History
American Airlines: 96 years in the making
On this day in 1926, Charles Lindbergh departed St. Louis on the first American Airlines flight. Today, AA is the larges...
Aviation History
Today in history: FedEx Flight 705 attempted hijacking
On this day 23 years ago, FedEx employee Auburn Calloway attempted to hijack a FedEx flight using hammers and a speargun...
Aviation History
On this day: 104 years of the Royal Air Force
On this day, 104 years ago, the Royal Air Force was founded, creating the first independent air force in the world....
Aviation History
On this day: Tenerife, aviation’s deadliest disaster
On this day 45 years ago, two Boeing 747 jets collided on the runway in Tenerife, killing 583 people in the deadliest av...
Aviation History
On this day: Remembering Ann Baumgartner
On this day in 2008, Ann Baumgartner, World War II pilot and aviator, died....
Aviation History
MH370: Aviation’s unsolved mystery
On March 8, 2014, the world learned of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Eight years on, the aircraft&r...
Women in Aviation
Jean Batten - The incredible, overlooked story of an aviatrix
Jean Batten was a pioneering woman in aviation. Her flying and navigational skills, along with her bravery, helped her b...
Aviation History
Today in history: Delta Air Lines founded
Delta Air Lines was founded as Huff Daland Dusters with a small fleet of crop dusters. Now, 97 years later, the airline...
