Yester Year

• British Airways launched its low cost airline Go subsidiary on January 30 with operations set to commence during this year’s northern spring.

• The first two Boeing F-15I Thunder aircraft for the Israeli Defence Force/Air Force arrived at the IDFAF base at Hatzerim on January 19 escorted by IDFAF Phantoms. The aircraft, 94‑0287 and 94‑0288, were delivered via RAF Lakenheath, UK, and Sigonella, Italy. The 25 examples on order will be delivered at a rate of two per month.

• The maiden flight of the smallest member of Boeing’s Next Generation 737 family, the 737-600, took place from Renton Municipal Airport on January 22. Registered N7376, this 737-683 will ultimately be delivered to launch customer SAS as SE-DNM. Four days later the rollout from Plant 2 in Seattle took place of the 3000th example of the 737, a 737-400 for Alaska Airlines.

• On February 17 one of the prototype Tiger helicopters which had been in Australia on demonstration, PT4/F-ZWWU, hit a hill at Springvale Station near Townsville at about 2200 hours. The two occupants escaped with minor injuries but the helicopter was extensively damaged.

25 Years Ago

• Boeing announced on February 3 that production of the 727 will conclude in the middle of 1984 with the delivery of the last and 1832nd example, a 727-200F freighter to Federal Express. Deliveries of the 727 reached a peak of 160 aircraft in 1968.

• On February 3 the maiden flight of the Dassault Mirage 2000N all-weather nuclear attack version of the Mirage 2000 took place from Istres.

Production versions of the two-seat low altitude penetration bomber will be equipped with the ASMP stand-off nuclear missile.

• The first flight of a Lockheed C-5A Galaxy fitted with new wings to combat fatigue problems encountered in existing aircraft took place from Marietta, Georgia, on February 9. On February 28 a ceremony was held marking the redelivery of the aircraft to the USAF.

• When an Italian air force pilot ejected from his F-104S Starfighter on February 17 he became the 5000th person saved through the use of a Martin-Baker ejection seat.

A Martin-Baker seat was used for the first time for an emergency ejection on May 30 1949.

• The first F/A-18 Hornets (excluding operational training squadrons) entered operational service on January 7 with VMFA-314 Black Knights replacing F-4 Phantoms.

• The Swedish air force has given the name Gripen to the Saab-Scania JAS 39 multirole combat aircraft which is in development. The Swedish name translates into English as Griffin, the mythical animal combining an eagle’s head and wings and a lion’s body.

50 Years Ago

• The keel of the USS Enterprise, the world’s first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, was laid on February 4 at Newport News, Virginia.

• Qantas inaugurated an around-the-world service with the simultaneous departure of two Lockheed Super Constellations from Melbourne flying in opposite directions on January 14.

VH-EAP Southern Zephyr flew westbound to London while VH-EAO Southern Aurora departed eastbound to London via the Pacific and USA. After arriving in London within a few hours of each other they continued their traverses of the globe to Melbourne.

• Handley Page is conducting initial deliveries of the Victor to the RAF with the first aircraft allocated to the formation of an operational conversion unit at RAF, Gaydon, Warwickshire.

• The Hawker Hunter 6 has been selected by the Swiss air force. Hawker will deliver 100 Hunters during 1958-59.

• Northrop is working on a twin-engined supersonic aircraft project designated the N-156F to fill the role of what is termed a “counter air fighter”. It would be able to operate from roads or small airfields and is said to resemble the T-38 trainer.

• Illustrations have been released of the revised configuration of the de Havilland DHC-4 Caribou which shows the previous double fin has been replaced by a large single fin. New details reveal the height of the aircraft has changed from 8. 4m (27ft 8in) to 11m (36ft) while there have also been increases to its length and span.