1950 IN AVIATION

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1950:

Contents

Events

March

April

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

First flights

Entered service

Events

★ Arrow Air is founded

March

★ March 20 - Royal Air Force Avro Lincoln bombers are sent to Singapore to be used against the Communist guerillas of Malaya in the Malayan Emergency.

April

★ April 8 - Soviet Lavochkin La-11 shoots down an American PB4Y Privateer over the Baltic Sea with all 10 crew lost.

June

★ June 1 - BEA commences the first regular passenger service to be flown by helicopter, between Liverpool and Cardiff.

★ June 25 - '''Korean War breaks out'''

★ June 25 - the USAF begins evacuating US citizens from South Korea

★ June 27 - A USAF F-82 Twin Mustang shoots down a North Korean Air Force Yak-9, the first air-to-air kill of the Korean War.

★ June 27 - USAF B-29 Superfortresses of the 19th Bombardment Group attack Seoul railway station and the bridge over the Han River in the first strategic bombing mission of the war.

★ June 28 - USAF B-26 Invaders fly the first strike mission into North Korea.

★ June 30 - P-51 Mustangs of No. 77 Squadron RAAF are sent to Korea as part of Australia's contribution to the war.

July

★ July 3 - F9F Panthers of VF-51 flying from USS ''Valley Forge'' become the first US jet fighters to go into combat. A North Korean Yak-9 is shot down.

★ July 3 - Supermarine Seafires of 800 Naval Air Squadron and Fairey Fireflys of No, 827 Sqn from HMS ''Triumph'' fly the first non-US sortie over Korea.

★ July 23 - aircraft carrier USS ''Boxer'' crosses the Pacific Ocean in record time, from Alameda, California to Yokosuka in 8 days 16 hours.

★ July 25 - Middle East airlines M.E.A- "Dakota" aircraft was on its way from Jerusalem to Beirut when an Israeli military aircraft opened fire at the Lebanese-Israeli borders. The radio operator "Antoine wazir" on the "Dakota" plane was hit by a deadly bullet while sitting on his chair near the pilot.

★ July 29 - a BEA Vickers Viscount makes the first turboprop-powered passenger flight.

August

★ August 3 - United States Marine Corps air operations over Korea commence, with VMF-214 flying strike missions from USS ''Sicily''

★ August 27 - P-51 Mustangs of No. 2 Squadron SAAF are sent to Korea as part of South Africa's contribution to the war.

September

★ September 4 - Cpt Robert Wayne becomes the first pilot to be rescued from behind enemy lines by a helicopter.

★ September 15 - Task Force 7, centred on five US Navy carriers and one of the Royal Navy, supports the USMC assault on Green Beach, paving the way for the Inchon landing.

★ September 22 - Col David Schilling makes the first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic in a jet fighter, a F-84 Thunderjet.

October

★ Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15s from the 29th Fighter Aviation Regiment are supplied to support the North Korean Air Force. They are flown by Soviet and Chinese pilots.

★ October 1 - the Royal Danish Air Force is re-established

★ October 20 - US paratroops are used to cut off supplies from Pyongyang

November

★ November 7 - BOAC retires its last flying boat airliner from service.

★ November 8 - 1Lt Russell Brown shoots down a MiG-15 from his F-80 Shooting Star, the first victory by a jet over another jet.

December

★ December 6 - C-47 Dakotas of 13 Flight Royal Hellenic Air Force evacuate US casualties from the Chonjin Reservoir.

★ December 9 - RAAF Gloster Meteors replace the P-51s of 77 Sqn. in Korea

★ December 17 - the F-86 Sabre begins operations in Korea

First flights

'January'

★ January 13 - Mikoyan-Gurevich I-330, prototype of the MiG-17

★ January 19 - Avro Canada CF-100 ''RCAF 18101''
'March'

★ March 26 - XA2D Skyshark
'April'

★ April 4 - Jodel D11 ''F-BBBF''

★ April 30 - SNCASE Grognard
'May'

★ May 5 - Scottish Aviation Prestwick Pioneer prototype ''G-AKBF''

★ May 10 - de Havilland Heron ''G-ALZL''
'June'

★ June 16 - FMA IAe 33 Pulqui II

★ June 19 - Hawker P.1081 ''VX279''
'October'

★ October 10 - Boulton Paul P.111 ''VT935''

Entered service

'July'

★ July 29 - Vickers Viscount with BEA
'August'

★ August 6 - Handley Page Hermes with BOAC