Santa upgrades his sleigh for “Operation Christmas Drop”
Santa Claus (CAPT. Mike d’Albertis, 605th Military Airlift Support Squadron) and STAFF SGT. Tony Thompson, loadmaster with the 21st Tactical Airlift Squadron, watch as a Christmas Drop container is parachuted toward its destination. The annual airdrop is a humanitarian effort providing aid to needy islanders throughout Micronesia during the holiday season, 12/14/1990
Now arriving…at the haunted air field:
Happy Halloween! October 31st and Senior Airman Garth Horton, USAF, crewchief, 437th Aircraft Generation Squadron, Charleston AFB, South Carolina, gets in the spirit as he marshals out an aircraft at Naval Air Station, Sigonella, Sicily. Air Force members are deployed to Naval Air Station Sigonella in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, 10/31/2001
Members of the Nation’s first Negro Navigation Cadets, who will receive their commissions in the Army Air Forces on February 26th, visited City Hall as guests of Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia this afternoon. They are shown on the steps of City Hall as the mayor greeted their commanding officer, Maj. Galen B. Price. 02/16/1944
December 3, 1957 - Just an “unidentified aircraft” or was it a “UFO?”
Message from Commander, Air Technical Information Center to Commander, Air Defense Command reporting the sighting of an unidentified flying object with sketch of location, 12/03/1957; Project Bluebook #5415; Records of Headquarters U.S. Air Force (Air Staff); Record Group 341;
From the records of the Air Force’s “Project BLUE BOOK,” this message dated December 3, 1957, references the sighting of an “unidentified aircraft” by the pilot of an Air Force F-86 in the skies over Joliet, Illinois on November 27. From 1947 to 1969, a total of 12, 618 sightings were reported to Project BLUE BOOK. Of these 701 remain “Unidentified.”
First Pursuit Group Reconnaissance Report, 09/27/1918
Second Lieutenant W.W. White describes shooting down two German Fokker aircraft during a patrol over Nantillois in this Reconnaissance Report from September 27, 1918.
“Track Chart of Bombing Mission to Schweinfurt, 08/17/1943”
Shown here is a “track chart” of an American deep penetration bombing raid over Germany on August 17, 1943, by the Eighth Air Force’s 306th Bombardment Group. The chart indicates the route to and from the target as well as encounters with anti-aircraft fire or “flak” and engagements with various types of German aircraft.
May 26 - World War II B-25
Spectacular crash at Byoritsu oil refinery, Formosa, was photographed by a B-25 of the 5th Air Force’s 345th Bomb Group on 26 May 1945. Just as it released its string of parafrags B-25 NO. 192 was hit by flak from a camouflaged battery and trails smoke. A gaping hole is visible on the pilot’s side.
