| Ontario, Toronto — Little Norway — Lille Norge |
| | [First Panel:] 9 April 1940 Norway was attacked by overwhelming forces. King Haakon VII, Crown Prince Olav and the government left Tromso 7 June for Great Britain in order to continue the fight for freedom in exile. Negotiations had started 2 June and a base for training air force personnel was erected in Toronto using Island Airport. A camp was built on the harbour front and officially opened 10 November 1940.
The national emblems of Canada and Norway have been flying side by side . . . — Map (db m20989) |
| United Kingdom, Kent, Dover — Blériot's 1909 Landing Site |
| | After making the first Channel flight by aeroplane Louis Blériot landed at this spot on Sunday 25th July 1909. — Map (db m23521) |
| Alabama (Macon County), Tuskegee Institute — The Tuskegee Airmen's Plaza |
| | This plaza is dedicated to the memory of the Tuskegee Airmen, including General Daniel "Chappie" James, whose training at Tuskegee University and the Tuskegee Army Air Field enabled them to prove for all time the competence and bravery of Black Americans in the U.S. Air Force.
This plaza commemorates their courageous service in the air and on the ground--both women and men--in defense of the United States of America. Without their commitment and daring, America's victories over her enemies would have been much more difficult. — Map (db m20076) |
| Arizona (Pima County), Tucson — First Municipal Airport in the United States — Arizona Historic Site |
| | This ground was the location
of the
First Municipal Airport
in the
United States
The Tucson city council approved the
financing for the airport, July 21, 1919
and
the city of Tucson in cooperation
with the Tucson chamber of commerce
established and constructed
the airport.
The first plane landed Nov. 20, 1919
Swede Myerhofer, Pilot — Map (db m8432) |
| California (Alameda County), Livermore — Tolliver Airship |
| | Eight miles southwest of this location, in the Spring of 1904, Charles Tolliver built an airship.
With an aluminum superstructure covered with 6,000 yards of rongee silk, the craft was to be 250 feet long, 40 feet wide and 44 feet high. Four gasoline powered engines and six propellers - two on each side, one in the front, one rear. There was no need for rudders with this type of construction.
Mrs. Phoebe Hearst was the main financial backer, contributing 72,000 dollars to the project. . . . — Map (db m19968) |
| California (Mono County), Lee Vining — Navy Beach |
| | During the Cold War, Mono County was home to one of many remote facilities used by the US Military to test new weapons and weapons systems. A "secret military installation" operated by the US Navy was located along the south shoreline of Mono Lake.
During the 1950's and 1960's several branches of the US Armed Forces utilized this test facility to conduct various research. Numerous top-secret exercises were actually performed here during what was called "seismic testing." However with the . . . — Map (db m20739) |
| California (Mono County), Walker — The C-130 Crew — Lost During the Cannon Fire - June 17, 2002 |
| | In Loving and Grateful Memory of
The C-130 Crew
Steve Wass, Craig Labare and Mike Davis
Who gave their lives to save
our community on June 17, 2002 — Map (db m23036) |
| California (Nevada County), Grass Valley — Lyman Gilmore, Jr. — 1874 – 1951 |
| | Lyman Gilmore, Jr. established the first commercial airport on this site in 1907. To him and his memory the people of this community dedicate this school as the:
LYMAN GILMORE SCHOOL
Grass Valley School District
Board of Trustees
Brian A. Bennallack-President * Dr. Robert L. Ross, Jr.-Clerk,* Harrel W. Ammon Mrs. Lou Kennedy * Jack Montre
Vernon C. Bond – Superintendent
George C. Higgins and Associates – Architect
Joe W. Ruess – Landscape Architect
Dorville, Galling . . . — Map (db m13289) |
| California (Sacramento County), Mather — F-105G “Wild Weasel” |
| | Wing Span 34 ft. 11 inches •
Length 67 ft. •
Height 20 ft. •
Speed 831 MPH •
Cruising 596 MPH •
Weight 11 Tons
First aircraft retrofitted to destroy surface-to-air missles in North Vietnam. The valiant airmen who flew these dangerous missions typified the courage of the Vietnam Veteran. In honor of those who served, we dedicate this memorial 24 May 2000. — Map (db m888) |
| California (Sacramento County), Mather — Mather Field |
| | Named for 2Lt C. S. Mather killed in 1918.
• 1918–Pilot Training School.
• 1930’s–Supply Depot.
• 1940’s–Pilot and Nav School.
• 1950’s–Nav School.
• 1960’s–SAC Bomb Wing and AF Nav/EWO Schools.
• 1993–Based closed.
• 1998–VA Clinic Started. — Map (db m889) |
| California (San Diego County), San Diego — Clifton A. F. Sprague, Vice Admiral, USN — Born 8 January 1896 - Died 11 April 1955 |
| | [Front]:
Awards
Navy Cross for the 25 October 1944 action off Samar. Admiral Sprague was aboard the escort carrier, USS Fanshaw Bay during this engagement.
Legion of Merit Medal for his command of the USS Wasp.
Gold Star in lieu of second Legion of Merit for the Morotai landings.
Gold Star in lieu of third Legion of Merit for the Iwo Jima and Okinawa operaitons.
Gold Star in lieu of fourth Legion of Merit for Operation Crossroads.
Presidential Unit Citation to Task Unit . . . — Map (db m8521) |
| California (San Diego County), San Diego — USS Gambier Bay CVE 73 and Composite Squadron VC-10 — United States Navy — In Memory of the Men Lost in Action |
| | [Panel 1]:
Eternal God who alone spreads out the heavens and rules the raging seas, may this memorial bring continued remembrance to the one hundred and thirty seven men who died defending their country in time of danger, and whose bodies found their last resting place in the waters of the Pacific. May it call to mind that they were called by their nation to defend liberty and preserve unity.
We do not what those who died in air and sea battles, often against hopeless odds, to . . . — Map (db m8480) |
| California (San Mateo County), San Bruno — First Shipboard Landing |
| | On 18 January 1911, EUGENE ELY flew a Curtis Pusher biplane from this location, Tanforan Park, and landed on a wooden platform constructed aboard the Navy Cruiser USS Pennsylvania anchored in the San Francisco Bay. The first shipboard landing, an event of international impact, contributed significantly to the development of Naval aviation. — Map (db m18414) |
| California (Santa Clara County), San Jose — 813 — Montgomery Hill |
| | Three-quarters of a mile northeast is Montgomery Hill, site of the 55 successful flights of the “aeroplane” of John Joseph Montgomery which demonstrated aerodynamic developments still indispensable to modern aircraft. Here the basic principles of aerodynamics discovered by Montgomery were combined by his engineering skill and technology to produce a heavier-than-air flying machine which had complete control: the cambered wing, rear stabilizer, flexible wingtips, and the wing-warping aileron. — Map (db m7127) |
| Colorado (El Paso County), Colorado Springs — The United States Air Force Academy |
| | Directly in front of you is the Academy which is dedicated to producing highly qualified and motivated officers for your U.S. Air Force. Its four year program combines Military and academic instruction and athletic competition. The airfield in the foreground is a focal point for soaring, parachuting and powered flight activities. To your right at the foot of the mountains is the Cadet area where 4,400
men and women Cadets live and study. The Academy welcomes visitors daily from 9 A.M. to 3 P.M.
The entrance is Two miles ahead. — Map (db m4884) |
| Delaware (New Castle County), New Castle — NC-134 — Site of Bellanca Airfield |
| | An airfield, aircraft plant, and service hangar were built here in 1928 by Giuseppe Mario Bellanca and Henry B. duPont. An aviation pioneer, Bellanca immigrated from Italy in 1912. His plane Columbia was Charles Lindbergh's choice for a Trans-Atlantic crossing, but he was unable to secure its use. Two weeks after Lindbergh's flight Columbia was flown non-stop to Berlin, a world record 3,911 miles. Bellanca's Miss Veedol flew the first Trans-Pacific flight in 1931. Over the . . . — Map (db m14133) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Anacostia — T-28 Trojan |
| | Dedicated to Pilots, Crew, and Maintenance Personnel who served at
Anacostia Naval Air Station — Map (db m7845) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Bolling Air Force Base — Bolling Air Force Base |
| | [Panel 1]:
Old Bolling Field
1917 - Survey for the site of a military flying field to be used for defense of Washington and for proficiency flying. Captain William "Billy" Mitchell, commander of Army Signal Corps Aeronautics Division urges purchase of a tract of land near the Potomac.
1918 - Bolling Field is established just north of the present Bolling Air Force Base site - named for Colonel Raynal C. Bolling, Assistant Chief of Air Service. Colonel Bolling was the first . . . — Map (db m8575) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Bolling Air Force Base — In Memory of Col. Raynal C. Bolling |
| | [Panel No. 1]:
"Whatever happens to me will be the result of action, not inaction or drift."
Bolling
[Panel No. 2]:
On April 7, 1917, the day after President Wilson's war message to Congress, Major Raynal Cawthorne Bolling of the Air Service Reserve requested continuous active duty and reported to Mineola Field, Long Island to await orders.
As a citizen-soldier in the New York National Guard, he had helped . . . — Map (db m5733) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Bolling Air Force Base — Republic F-105D Thunderchief |
| | This aircraft, of a type used extensively in Southeast Asia air operations, is dedicated to all the courageous airmen who gave their lives in honor during that conflict. — Map (db m16292) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), Washington Navy Yard — U.S. Experimental Model Basin |
| | Site of U.S. Experimental Model Basin 1898-1955
Founded by Rear Admiral David Watson Taylor who was the Director until 1914.
Here the Navy laid the foundations for research in ship and aircraft design with the establishment of a 470 foot towing tank in 1898 and an 8-by 8-foot closed circuit wind tunnel in 1914, both of which were first in the United States. Structural research on naval ships was begun in 1922. To those pioneers in naval science, whose work is being continued and extended . . . — Map (db m10456) |
| District of Columbia (Washington), West Potomac Park — Air Mail |
| | The world's first airplane mail to be operated as a continuously scheduled public service started from this field May 15, 1918.
The route connected Washington, Philadelphia and New York. Curtiss JN 4-H airplanes with a capacity of 150 pounds of mail flew the 230 miles in about three hours.
The service was inaugurated by the Post Office Department in cooperation with the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps of the U. S. Army. On August 12, 1918, the service was taken over in its entirety by the Post Office Department. — Map (db m17619) |
| Florida (Bay County), Panama City — F-154 — Panama City Airport |
| | Established 1945 on Fannin Field Panama City-Bay County Airport 1964 Panama City-Bay County Airport and Industrial District 1967 Developed and controlled by Representative Airport Authorities in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Agency Control Tower erected by Federal Aviation Agency 1967 — Map (db m8150) |
| Florida (Brevard County), Merritt Island — SATAN Tracking Antenna |
| | The primary function of the SATAN tracking antenna was to receive radio signals in the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) range of 136 to 137 megahertz from orbiting unmanned spacecraft.
In service from 1964 until 1979 the SATAN Antenna supported the tracking of over sixty weather or scientific satellites.
These satellites resulted in our present understanding of weather, earth resources, planetary and interplanetary phenomena. — Map (db m13923) |
| Florida (Pinellas County), St. Petersburg — Bayflite 3 Crew |
| | In memory of our colleagues Bayflite 3 crew
Mark Wallace
Alicia Betita-Collins
Erik Hangartner
who lost their lives in service to others
April 25, 2000 — Map (db m13648) |
| Florida (Seminole County), Orlando — FL-SC017 — Naval Air Station - Sanford |
| | In November 1942, NAS Sanford was commissioned to meet the need for additional naval aviation training facilities. Originally planned for bomber training, within a year it converted to fighter plane training. A major portion of fighter pilots that served on aircraft carriers in the Pacific during WWII trained at the field. “Touch and Go” training simulated aircraft landings at the airfield at Osceola and other nearby fields. Fifty-three pilots lost their lives in plane crashes in . . . — Map (db m2182) |
| Florida (Taylor County), Perry — F-380 — Perry Army Air Base |
| | The Perry Army Air Base of World War II stood in an 862 acre area south and west of this point.
The 441st and 312th Fighter Squadrons of the Third Army Air Force trained replacement pilots for combat units worldwide.
The 338th Fighter Group single engine aircraft included the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, and North American P-51 Mustang.
The first troops arrived on June 9, 1943, and last departed in early September, 1945. Approximately 120 pilots per month . . . — Map (db m17717) |
| Georgia (Chatham County), Pooler — Base Air Depot No. 2 Station 582 USAAF — Warton, England |
| | First marker:
BAD 2 Warton, England, was established under the 8th Air Force Service Command, September 5, 1942. Its mission: the modification and repair of military aircraft. War planes coming from the United States would be adapted to meet special requirements of the European Theater of Operations. Battle damaged aircraft would have to be repaired, perhaps whole sections rebuilt. A ferrying squadron was needed to get planes to Warton (from fields where they originally landed) and . . . — Map (db m17126) |
| Georgia (Chatham County), Pooler — Boeing B-47 Stratojet |
| | The Boeing B-47 Stratojet bomber first
flew on 17 December 1947, It was America's
first swept-wing all jet bomber. There
were over 2,000 B-47's produced, more
than any other Free World bomber since
WWII. This B-47 Stratojet (Serial number
50-0062) is a TB-47B, a training version
of the bomber aircraft. It was built by the
Boeing Airplane Company at Wichita,
Kansas and delivered to the US Air Force
on 7 February 1952.
This aircraft was first assigned to the
Stratgic Air Command's . . . — Map (db m16622) |
| Georgia (Chatham County), Pooler — McDonnell F-4C Phantom |
| | A masterpiece of engineering, the F-4 was originally designed for use aboard Navy aircraft carriers. In 1962 the Air Force adopted a ground attack version of the F-4 after it had easily outperformed its F-106 in head-to-head competition. The F-4 achieved legendary status in Vietnam, scoring 277 combat victories, including the first and last U.S. air victories of the conflict.
Manufactured by McDonnell Aircraft and delievered to the Air Force in 1965, this F-4C Phantom served at various Air . . . — Map (db m13306) |
| Georgia (Chatham County), Pooler — Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG- 17A |
| | Introduced in 1951, the MiG-17 remained on frontline duty with many Warsaw Pact countries and their client states well into the 1980s. Developed too late for the Korean War, the MiG-17 went on to see action in Vietnam and in several of the African and Middle-Eastern conflicts of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. This version of the MiG-17 is fitted with the Klimov VK-1A engine, a Soviet copy of the Rolls- Royce Nene turbojet.
High maneuverability, coupled with a powerful automatic-cannon system, . . . — Map (db m13307) |
| Georgia (Chatham County), Savannah — 025-86 — Birthplace of Eighth Air Force |
| | On 28 January 1942, the Eighth Air Force, was activated in the adjacent building, a National Guard Armory at the time. Having moved to England, the Eighth was ready on 17 August to test the theory that daylight bombing raids could be made with profitable results. Twelve B-17's participated in this mission, striking the railway marshalling yards at Rouen, France, and returning safely to their home base. This highly successful mission established the pattern for the strategic bombardment of Nazi . . . — Map (db m4396) |
| Georgia (Clarke County), Athens — 029-16 — Ben T. Epps — Georgia's Pioneer Aviator — 1888-1937 |
| | Ben T. Epps - Georgia's First in Flight -- designed, built and in 1907 flew the first airplane in the State of Georgia. He was born in Oconee County, educated in Clarke County, and attended Georgia Tech. A self-taught aviator, aircraft designer, and builder, Epps built the 1907 Monoplane in his shop on Washington Street in Athens and designed and flew new airplanes in 1909, 1911, 1916, 1924, and 1930. The 1924 Epps Monoplane weighed only 350 pounds, had a wingspan of 25 feet, and was powered by . . . — Map (db m11754) |
| Georgia (Clarke County), Athens — 29-5 — First Flight in Georgia — Site of Ben Epps' Garage |
| | Georgia’s pioneer aviator, Benjamin Thomas Epps, was born in Oconee County in 1888. He opened Athens’ first automobile repair garage at this location on East Washington Street in 1907. That same year, nineteen-year-old Epps designed and built his first airplane here – a monoplane with an upright buggy seat, bicycle wheels, and a 35-foot wingspan powered by a fifteen-horsepower French Anzani engine. Its successful flight earned him recognition as the father of Georgia aviation. Epps tested . . . — Map (db m11755) |
| Georgia (Coffee County), Douglas — 34-1 — Raymond-Richardson Aviation School |
| | Wesley Raymond, Robert Richardson and others founded a school here in 1939 to teach basic flight skills to college students. With the start of World War II, the school became the 63rd Flight Training Detachment Airbase and provided primary flight training for several thousand young men. In addition to working clerical and food preparation jobs, many local women served as civilian base dispatchers and aircraft mechanics. Although officially closed in 1944, the airstrip and hangers have continued . . . — Map (db m24686) |
| Georgia (DeKalb County), Chamblee — 044-92 — 1941 * Naval Air Station Atlanta * 1959 |
| | Anticipating America´s involvement in a second world war, the government returned to the site of Camp Gordon in October 1940 and over the next seven
months constructed a 400-acre Naval Reserve Aviation Base at the DeKalb County Airport.
Commissioned in March 1941, the field´s chief mission was primary flight training of Navy and Marine Corps aviators. Expanding to meet war needs, the base added training for instrument flight instructors and in January 1943 was designated Naval Air . . . — Map (db m14571) |
| Georgia (Gwinnett County), Suwanee — Aviation Tragedy |
| | In the evening hours of December 6, 1953 four F-84D jet aircraft of 128th Fighter Bomber Squadron of the Georgia Air National Guard crashed near this site. They were returning from a routine weekend training flight from the Miami area when they encountered unexpected weather and altitude awareness problems as they prepared to land at Dobbins AFB near Marietta, Georgia. All of the pilots perished. No one on the ground was injured although the impact destroyed the home of the Ernest Brooks family . . . — Map (db m9598) |
| Georgia (Morgan County), Godfrey — WWII B-25C Airplane Crash |
| |
On the occasion of its Bicentennial, Morgan County placed this marker here to commemorate the
WW II B-25C Airplane Crash
In the early afternoon of January 10, 1945, residents of the south-western portion of Morgan County were witnesses to the crash of a B-25C airplane in a field near the intersection of present- day Godfrey Road and Walton's Mill Road. The plane had taken off from Greenville Army Air Base in Greenville, South Carolina, and it was on a low altitude rendezvous . . . — Map (db m20192) |
| Georgia (Sumter County), Americus — 129-8 — Lindbergh's Solo Flight — May 1923 |
| | The "Lone Eagle" first flew solo in early May, 1923 from Souther Field. Charles Lindbergh had come to Americus to purchase a surplus aircraft from the World War I training center. He chose a Curtiss JN4 "Jenny." He got the plane with a brand-new OX-5 engine, a fresh coat of olive drab dope, and an extra 20 gallon fuel tank for $500. Lindbergh had less than 20 hours instruction when he soloed. He practiced take-offs and landings for a week; then having filled up with forty gallons of gas, he set . . . — Map (db m11487) |
| Idaho (Ada County), Boise — 72 — Airmail Service |
| | U.S. commercial airline service began with a Varney Airlines flight from Pasco to Boise which landed here on April 6, 1926. Army planes had delivered airmail before that time.
After Varney Airlines was merged with newer companies to become United Airlines, this flight was recognized as United's initial flight. A year later, Charles A. Lindberg landed here on his national tour after his solo flight to Paris. Boise's municipal airport continued to serve planes here until 1940 when 8,800-foot runways were built at its present site. — Map (db m22734) |
| Illinois (Crawford County), Palestine — Rousch Brothers - - Aviation Pioneers |
| | Usher - October13, 1891 - - April 4, 1941. Built his first airplane in 1909. From 1913-1927 he learned to fly, barnstormed, and did stunt flying. Pilot and instructor for Interstate Airline and American Airways 1928-1930 and American Airlines 1930-1939. In 1931 he helped organize air line pilots’ association and was secretary from 1934-1939. He was Captain on American Airlines 1930-1931. From 1939-1941 he was a pilot with TACA in Central America.
Charles - March 4, 1896 - January 21, . . . — Map (db m23331) |
| Illinois (Vermilion County), Danville — Aircraft in Honor of Chanute Air Force Base |
| | This aircraft is in honor of Chanute Air Force Base and all its personnel
1917 1993
Veterans of Foreign Wars
Jewell Whyte Post No. 728
Commander - Bob French
Co-Chairman - Hershall lee & Bob Smith
Mayor of Danville - Bob Jones — Map (db m10729) |
| Illinois (Vermilion County), Danville — Two Trees Reach for Heaven — Astronauts Memorial — Vermilion County, Illinois |
| | In Honor of Astronaut Joe Tanner - Danville Native - November 3, 1994
In memory of Astronaut Christa McAuliffe - Teacher - January 28, 1986
"The Dream is Alive" — Map (db m10726) |
| Indiana (Allen County), Fort Wayne — Duck Creek: Early Industry and Business Development |
| | Fort Wayne business had a start on Duck Street, named for the 19th century Duck Creek that drained the area from the higher ground near Superior Street into the St. Mary’s River. Along Duck Creek in the 1840s and 50s stood the City Mills, one of the largest mills in early Fort Wayne. Like other streams in the area, Duck Creek afforded an ideal opportunity for the beginnings of industry in the frontier community. The first industrial businesses in the city - blacksmithing, brick and tile making, . . . — Map (db m16997) |
| Indiana (Henry County), Hagerstown — 33.1966.1 — Birthplace of Wilbur Wright |
| | April 16, 1867 - May 30, 1912 Co-inventor of the airplane With his brother, Orville, he began studying flight, 1896; built first model airplane, 1899; began gliding, 1900; and achieved first successful powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, December 17, 1903 — Map (db m4664) |
| Indiana (Jackson County), Seymour — B-25 Mitchell |
| | In remembrance of those brave Tuskegee Airmen who served their country with courage, dedication and loyalty.
616th, 617th, 618th, & 619th Bomb Squadrons (M) of the 477th Bomb Group (M)
March 1945 to May 1945 — Map (db m13627) |
| Indiana (Jackson County), Seymour — Freeman Field |
| | Activated December 1942 as U.S. Army Air Forces advanced training school for World War II twin engined pilots; graduated over 4000 by February
1945. Construction of 413 structures and four 5,500-foot runways supervised by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; named for Indiana pilot Captain Richard
S. Freeman (1907-1941). Deactivated in 1948. — Map (db m13625) |
| Indiana (Jackson County), Seymour — Freeman Field |
| | Activated December 1942 as U.S. Army Air Forces advanced training school for World War II twin engined pilots; graduated over 4000 by February
1945. Construction of 413 structures and four 5,500-foot runways supervised by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; named for Indiana pilot Captain Richard
S. Freeman (1907-1941). Deactivated in 1948. — Map (db m13626) |
| Kansas (Shawnee County), Topeka — Palm Park |
| | Main marker:
Dedicated in Memory of Major Willard G. Palm who died while serving his country
1921 - 1960
Major Willard G. Palm and his fellow crew members *Maj. Eugene E. Posa, *Capt. Oscar L. Goforth, *Capt. Dean B. Phillips, Capt. Freeman B. Olmstead, Capt. John R. McKone, were shot down over Barents Sea July 1, 1960, by a Russian fighter plane while on a peaceful reconnaissance mission. *Died in this incident.
E.J. Camp, Mayor
Preston Hale Louis Howard
Frank Warren . . . — Map (db m20547) |
| Louisiana (Rapides Parish), Alexandria — England AFB Heritage Park |
| | A symbol of all airmen past, present, and future, the England Air Force Base Heritage Park is a proud reminder of the Air Force's role in our nation's military history. Each of the five aircraft displayed here valiantly contributed to the defense of our country. They are suspended in simulated flight as a permanent reminder of the courage, dedication and sacrifice of the men and women who have served their country as members of the finest air force in the world. — Map (db m10104) |
| Louisiana (Rapides Parish), Alexandria — England Air Force Base History |
| | England Air Force Base, which officially closed on December 15, 1992, began as the Alexandria Army Air Base on October 16, 1942 and was formally activated on February 12, 1943, was comprised of 2,604 acres and had two runways -- one north-south 7,000 feet long, and one northwest-southeast 9,350 feet long. Its capital assets were valued at more than $600 million.
Until 1945, the facility was used as a B-17 bomber combat crew training school. After cessation of hostilities in Europe in . . . — Map (db m10099) |
| Louisiana (Rapides Parish), Alexandria — Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II |
| | The 23D Tactical Fighter Wing accepted its first A-10 Thunderbolt II in December 1980. Nicknamed the warthog by its pilots, the A-10 was designed to provide close air support for ground forces. One of the most advanced features of the A-10 was its deadly tank-killing 30mm Gau-8 cannon. Built to survive, the A-10's ability to take and deliver punishment was indeed a threat to those who would unsheathe the sword of aggression.
— Map (db m10110) |
| Louisiana (Rapides Parish), Alexandria — LTV Aerospace Vought A-7D Corsair II |
| | When the 23D Tactical Fighter Wing came to England AFB in 1972, the Flying Tigers flew the A-7D Corsair II attack aircraft. For seven months in 1973, A-7 aircraft from the 74th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 23 TFW deployed to Thailand to support the air war in Southeast Asia. The Flying Tigers flew the A-7 until 1980. This aircraft is painted to duplicate a past 23 TFW commander's aircraft.
— Map (db m10111) |
| Louisiana (Rapides Parish), Alexandria — North American F-86 Sabre |
| | The Flying Tigers flew the F-86, one of the first swept-wing jet fighters, in the early 1950s. Known as the 23rd Fighter Interceptor Group, the unit provided air defense for the Northeastern United States while stationed at Presque Isle AFB, Maine. This F-86 has been painted to duplicate the aircraft flow by Lt Col John England, for whom England AFB is named. — Map (db m10112) |
| Louisiana (Rapides Parish), Alexandria — Republic F-105 Thunderchief |
| | From 1964 to 1972 the Flying Tigers flew the F-105 tactical fighter bomber at McConnell AFB, Kansas, where the tigers functioned as both an operational unit and a training unit. Two of its squadrons served in Vietnam. While at McConnell, the Flying Tiger Unit received its current designation, 23D Tactical Fighter Wing. The aircraft displayed is an F-105G "Wild Weasel" with a paint scheme similar to ones flown by the 23 TFW.
— Map (db m10109) |
| Louisiana (Rapides Parish), Alexandria — Republic F-84F Thunderstreak |
| | Relocated from Bringhurst Park and unveiled on 25 April 1992 during a 391st FBS homecoming, it has that squadron's markings, its operations officer as pilot, its weapons NCOIC as crew chief.
This airplane is dedicated to all the ‘cold warriors’ of the 366th and 401st fighter-bomber wings who flew from this base in support of National objectives during the post-Korean, pre-Vietnam War era.
— Map (db m10107) |
| Maryland (Anne Arundel County), Annapolis — Pearl Harbor Survivors Association — In Memoriam |
| | [Front]:
To those members of the Armed Forces of the United States who served at Pearl Harbor and other military installations on the island of Oahu during the Japanese attack on Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, to perpetuate the memory of those who died that day and those who answer a "last muster call" since that "date of infamy." This event precipitated the United States' entry into World War II.
May they rest in eternal peace.
[Engraved near the base are the Seals of . . . — Map (db m7819) |
| Maryland (Anne Arundel County), Annapolis — Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale — 1923 - 2005 |
| | [Panel 1:]
[Rendering of the Medal of Honor (U.S. Navy/Marine Corps)]
"Never give in; never give in; never, never, never--in nothing great or small, large or petty--never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy." - Sir Winston Churchill.
[Panel 2:]
Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale was one of the most highly decorated officers in the history of the United States . . . — Map (db m12972) |
| Maryland (Anne Arundel County), Annapolis — Vice Admiral William Porter Lawrence, USN |
| | [Panel 1:]
"Be first a person of honor."
Test Pilot - First to fly Mach II in Naval Aircraft
Korea, F2H Banshee
Vietnam, F-4 Phantom
Prisoner of War, Vietnam 1967-1973
Superintendent, United States Naval Academy
Commander, U.S. Third Fleet
Chief, U.S. Naval Personnel
[Panel 2:]
Distinguished Service Medal (4)
Silver Star(3)
Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star with Combat V
Purple Heart (2)
Air . . . — Map (db m12997) |
| Maryland (Anne Arundel County), Fort Meade — EA-3B Skywarrior — ... to the memory of all the U.S. Naval aircrews that gave their lives ... |
| | [Panel 1:] The EA-3B Skywarrior was in service for more than three decades in the U.S. Navy’s secret reconnaissance war against the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. Conceived at the dawn of th Cold War as an aircraft carrier-based nuclear bomber, the A-3 Skywarrior was the largest aircraft ever designed to operate from an aircraft carrier - hence its nickname, “the Whale.” The aircraft was also an ideal platform for electronic reconnaissance, a mission it filled around the . . . — Map (db m17025) |
| Maryland (Anne Arundel County), Fort Meade — National Vigilance Park |
| | On September 2, 1958 Soviet MIG Fighters shot down United States Air Force C-130 #60528 over Armenia.
This memorial is dedicated in memory of the seventeen airmen who perished that day, and their Armed Forces compatriots who were killed, injured, taken prisoner, or unaccounted for in other incidents while performing a mission vital to America’s security.
Plaque donated by Freedom Through Vigilance Association. — Map (db m2923) |
| Maryland (Anne Arundel County), Fort Meade — Tipton Army Airfield — Fort George G. Meade — United States Army |
| | Named for Marylander Colonel William D. Tipton, Tipton Army Airfield was constructed in 1960 to replace a smaller airstrip operating since 1938 near the present Post Exchange and Commissary complex.
COL Tipton served in both World Wars. During World War I COL Tipton was a pursuit pilot in the 17th Aero Squadron attached to the British Royal Air Force. He saw action in the Battle of the Somme where he was awarded the British Distinguished Flying Cross and the American purple Heart. He was . . . — Map (db m19704) |
| Maryland (Baltimore County), Dundalk — Logan Field |
| | First commercial aviation facility in Maryland. Veteran World War I pilots formed club and opened Dundalk Flying Field in 1919. Renamed to honor stunt p1lot Lt. Patrick Logan, who was killed in crash during club's first major air meet. Became Baltimore's first municipal airport in 1920. Club members organized nation's first National Guard air unit in 1921. Visited by Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart. Scheduled passenger service inaugurated in 1930. Replaced by Baltimore Municipal Airport/Harbor Field in 1941. — Map (db m4338) |
| Maryland (Calvert County), Prince Frederick — Arthur Storer Planetarium |
| | Arthur Storer (c. 1642–1686), the first astronomer in the American Colonies, came to Calvert County from Lincolnshire, England. He was among the first observers to sight and record data describing Haley's comet on its return in 1682. His observations were made from this tract of land. Arthur Storer was a lifelong friend and colleague of Sir Isaac Newton who quoted Storer's data repeatedly in his great scientific works. — Map (db m3450) |
| Maryland (Montgomery County), Poolesville — Edward’s Ferry |
| | A major crossing of the Potomac River guarded by Union troops throughout the Civil War. In Oct. 1861 a Union unit crossed during the Battle of Ball’s Bluff, but did not participate.
From Dec. 1861 to March 1862 the base of balloon operations of Thaddeus Lowe was located here.
In June 1863 the Union Army crossed here over twin pontoon bridges on the way to Gettysburg. Rebel raiders crossed here in Aug. 1863, July 1864, and Feb. 1865, damaging the canal and Union equipment. — Map (db m1136) |
| Maryland (Montgomery County), Seneca — Planetary Radio Emissions Discovery Site |
| | In 1955 scientists Bernard Burke and Kenneth Franklin from the Carnegie Institution of Washington accidentally discovered naturally-generated radio waves from Jupiter using a 96-acre antenna array. The discovery led to greater understanding of planetary magnetic fields and plasmas and opened a new window in our exploration of the solar system. — Map (db m745) |
| Maryland (Prince George's County), Bladensburg — George Washington House — (Circa 1752) |
| | The George Washington House, often referred to as the Indian Queen Tavern, was built by tavern keeper Jacob Wirt. Prior to the Revolution, when Bladensburg was a thriving port town, this building was rented out to Cunningham and Company, a Scottish mercantile firm, which traded in tobacco. The building later served as a tavern and stagecoach stop for weary travellers during their journeys along the Old Post Road, a major route linking the north and south. From 1774 to 1783 it was run by . . . — Map (db m3575) |
| Maryland (Prince George's County), College Park — "From Stagecoach to Streetcar to Subway: A College Town Emerges" — City of College Park — Anacostia Trails Heritage Area |
| | College Park was incorporated by referendum in 1945. However, the city’s origin goes back much further. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, College Park began to emerge from farmland both as a transportation hub and as a center for education. First stagecoaches and then automobiles traveled the turnpike between Baltimore and Washington. College Park was also accessible by rail, which was a popular way to visit Maryland’s new Agricultural College, which later became the . . . — Map (db m13161) |
| Maryland (Prince George's County), College Park — College Park Airport — First Military Airport In The United States |
| | The following notable events occurred on this airfield
1909 - Wilbur Wright instructed first flying officers of Signal Corps, U. S. Army
1911 - First Army flying school established here
First bombsite tested from an aircraft
1912 - First group cross country flight originated here. Destination Chevy Chase, MD
First machine gun fired from an aircraft
First radio message sent from an aircraft
1922 - First flight of a helicopter made by Henry Berliner
One of the . . . — Map (db m5743) |
| Maryland (Prince George's County), Croom — Aviation History — Columbia Air Center |
| | In 1941, aviation history was made when the first Black owned and operated airfield licensed in America opened on this site. Mr. John W. Greene, Jr., a pioneer in Black aviation, was instrumental in developing the airfield, originally called "Riverside Field."
With the advent of World War II, civilian flying was restricted, and many private airfields were utilized by the military to train pilots. Riverside Field was occupied by the U.S. Navy until 1944 for training missions.
After the . . . — Map (db m6394) |
| Massachusetts (Worcester County), Auburn — Dr. Robert H. Goddard Park |
| | First liquid propellant rocket launched in Auburn Mass. Mar. 16, 1926 by R.H. Goddard
This park dedicated to his memory by the Rotary Club of Auburn 1970 — Map (db m18099) |
| Michigan (Wayne County), Dearborn — S0126 — Ford Airport / Ford Tri-Motor |
| | The Ford Airport
At this airport, built by Henry Ford in 1924, world and national history was made, ushering in a new era of flight embracing the all-metal airliner, radio control devices, air mail, scheduled flights, and the airline services that the generation of the 1930's came to expect.
For the first time in the world:
A hotel, the Dearborn Inn, was designed and built for the air traveler.
A guided flight of a commercial airliner was made by radio.
For the first . . . — Map (db m14956) |
| Nevada (Elko County), Elko — 107 — Elko Airport — Terminus of the First Commercial Air Mail Route |
| | On April 6, 1926, Varney Air Lines pilot Leon Cuddeback, carrying one bag of mail, landed his tiny Curtis Swallow bi-plane at Elko, Nevada, completing the first scheduled air mail run in the United States.
The single engine, 90-horsepower aircraft had taken off from Pasco, Washington, stopped at Boise, Idaho, for fuel and mail, then completed the 460-mile flight to Elko. The Varney contract was awarded October 27, 1925, at a rate of eights cents an ounce. Varney sold to Boeing, which merged with United Air Lines in 1931. — Map (db m1371) |
| Nevada (Elko County), West Wendover — 509th Composite Group – First Atomic Bombardment |
| | “The Atomic bomb is too dangerous to be loose in a lawless world ... we pray that (God) may guide us to use it in His ways and for His purposes.” —President Harry S. Truman, August, 1945.
In Memory. This monument is dedicated to the members of the 509th Composite Group, United States Air Force, who trained at the Wendover, Utah, Army Air Force Base in 1944-45, for the vital, secret mission of delivering the first atomic bombs on Japanese targets in August . . . — Map (db m1278) |
| New Jersey (Bergen County), Oradell — Oradell |
| | Home of Commander Walter M. Schirra, Jr., USN, the first Jerseyman to orbit the Earth, Oct 3, 1962. — Map (db m18775) |
| New Jersey (Bergen County), Teterboro — 57 — Teterboro Airport — Established 1920 |
| | The home of Gates Flying Circus. Teterboro built Fokker tri-motors flown by Richard E. Byrd over the North Pole (1926); South Pole (1929); Atlantic (1927); and by Amelia Earhart over Atlantic (1928). Clarence Chamberlin, Ruth Nichols, Floyd Bennett, Charles A. Lindbergh, Bernt Balchen and Bill Odom flew here. First airmail route flown to Boston (1926). Teterboro is now (1972) a general aviation airport. — Map (db m6863) |
| New Jersey (Mercer County), Hopewell Township — Mercer Airport |
| | Dedicated to the memory of General High Mercer
a distinguished officer in the Continental Army who died from wounds received in the Battle of Princeton, January 3, 1777. From him, Mercer County, created in 1838, received its name.
Dedicatory ceremonies held October 26, 1929, being the 250th Anniversary of the settlement of Trenton. — Map (db m10623) |
| New Jersey (Monmouth County), Holmdel — Radio Astronomy |
| | Near this site in 1932, Bell Labs. scientist Karl Jansky first discovered radio waves coming from outer space, thus beginning the science of radio astronomy. — Map (db m17386) |
| New Jersey (Ocean County), Lakehurst — Airship Hindenburg Disaster |
| | Historic landmark commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Airship Hindenburg Disaster. On this site - May 6, 1937, 7:25 P.M. 36 people perished. — Map (db m4628) |
| New York (Albany County), Albany — Glenn Curtiss Flight |
| |
From This Ground
Glenn Curtiss
Began The First Long
Distance Airplane Flight
Albany To New York
May 29, 1910.
— Map (db m13308) |
| New York (Albany County), Colonie — Dalessondro Boulevard |
| | In December of 1944, near Kalterherberg, Germany Technical Sergeant Peter J. Dalessondro of the 9th Infantry Division, at great personal risk, intrepidly fought against overwhelming enemy attack to save his company from defeat. His singlehanded efforts earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor. Captured by the Germans and imprisoned for six months, Sgt. Dalessondro returned to the Capitol District a hero and continued to serve his county and community as a six term member of the New York State Senate. — Map (db m21881) |
| New York (New York County), New York — The Early Birds |
| | Early aviation history was made here when these pioneers flew powered aircraft to and from this site between 1909—1916.
Wilbur Wright •
Lincoln Beachy •
Glenn H. Curtiss •
Eugene Ely •
Charles K. Hamilton • Hugh A. Robinson • Harry N. Atwood • James J. Ward • Harry M. Jones • Albert S. Heinrich • Harold Kanther • Victor Carlstrom • Steve MacGordon • Raynal C. Bolling • Ruth B. Law
From May 1916 to March 1917, members of the Governors Island Training Corps flight trained . . . — Map (db m20975) |
| New York (Warren County), Warrensburg — Floyd Bennett Memorial — 1890 - 1928 |
| | In memory of
Floyd Bennett
1890 - 1928
A Resident of Warrensburgh, he served in the World War and was later Commander Byrd's pilot on his North Pole Flight. He Sacrificed his life in rescue of the Bremen Trans-Atlantic Fliers. — Map (db m18107) |
| New York (Westchester County), White Plains — Lockheed T-33 |
| | Lockheed T-33
This T-33, known as the “T-Bird,” is on loan from the United States Navy and was once on display at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York City. It commemorates Westchester County Airport’s history as home to the 105th Flying Unit of the New York Air National Guard from 1948 to 1984.
Designed by Lockheed in 1948 and produced until 1959, T-Birds were used as jet trainers with cockpit capacities for two people, top speeds of 600 miles per hour and ranges of . . . — Map (db m24437) |
| North Carolina (Currituck County), Corolla — Ray T. Adam's Landing Strip |
| | When Ray T. Adams bought this estate for just $25,000 in 1940, he dreamed of opening a hunt club and selling parcels of land for real estate. He changed the name to the Whatehead Club and invited potential investors, politicians (including Dwight Eisenhower), and public figures (including boxing champion Jack Dempsey) to enjoy hunting on the property.
He built a landing strip on a man-made finger of land beginning in the sound (approximately where the red channel marker is today) and . . . — Map (db m10688) |
| North Carolina (Dare County), Buxton — B32 — Billy Mitchell |
| | Brigadier general of the Army Air Service, demonstrated air power by bombing battleships off coast, Sept. 5, 1923. Landing field was here. — Map (db m20347) |
| North Carolina (Dare County), Frisco — Mitchell Demonstrates Air Power |
| | In September 1923, Brigadier General Mitchell provided a chilling view of the effectiveness of aerial bombardment on surface vessels to skeptical government and military observers. Taking off from his temporary Hatteras Village airfield, Mitchell rendezvoused with Martin Bombers from Langley Field, Virginia. Equipped with newly developed bombsights and supercharged engines, the bombers quickly sank the obsolete battleships "Virginia" and "New Jersey" anchored just 20 miles off the Hatteras . . . — Map (db m20353) |
| North Carolina (Dare County), Kill Devil Hills — 12 Seconds that Changed the World |
| | After more than four years of hard work and experimentation, it only took the Wright brothers 12 seconds to change the world. On December 17, 1903, at 10:35, Orville Wright made the world’s first controlled, powered, heavier-than-air flight.
The photograph that documented the Wrights’ success was taken by John T. Daniels, a Kill Devil Hills Life Saving Station surfman, who had never used a camera before. It was not until the Wright brothers returned to Dayton, Ohio, that they developed the . . . — Map (db m10181) |
| North Carolina (Dare County), Kill Devil Hills — A hospitable people... |
| | If you decide to try your machine here...you will find a hospitable people...
William J. Tate, Kitty Hawk Postmaster, in a letter to Wilbur Wright dated August 18, 1900
Wilbur and Orville Wright accepted Tate’s invitation and found that the Outer Banks of North Carolina not only provided hospitable people but also the conditions that they needed to fly – wind, sand, and solitude. While solitude was important to get the work done, the Wrights did not work . . . — Map (db m10183) |
| North Carolina (Dare County), Kill Devil Hills — Big Kill Devil Hill — 26 Acres of Shifting Sand |
| | Before construction of the memorial could begin, it would be necessary to stabilize the dune from which the Wright Brothers conducted their glider experiments. Twenty-five years of steady winds had moved Big Kill Devil Hill 450 feet southwest of its 1903 location. The U.S. Army Engineers, using exotic and native grasses and a covering of wood mold, succeeded in stabilizing the "shifting" dune. The Hill stands still now - supporting a monument to man's greatest dream. — Map (db m9768) |
| North Carolina (Dare County), Kill Devil Hills — Experiments |
| | On the slope of Kill Devil Hill to the left, the Wright brothers experimented with gliders in the period 1900 - 1903.
Here also Wilbur Wright failed in an attempted power-driven flihgt, December 14, 1903. After just 3½ seconds in the air the Wrights' flying machine stalled and settled to the ground.
Two days were needed for repairs. Then the stage was set for the successful flight of December 17. — Map (db m10179) |
| North Carolina (Dare County), Kill Devil Hills — Field for Flight |
| | "Isn't it astonishing that all these secrets have been preserved for so many years just so that we could discover them!!"
Orville Wright, June 7, 1903 — Map (db m9770) |
| North Carolina (Dare County), Kill Devil Hills — Four Powered Flights |
| | The Wright brothers made four successful sustained powered flights the morning of December 17, 1903. The commemorative granite boulder and replica monorail mark the lift-off point of those four flights, the numbered markers the terminating point.
Since soft sand prohibited launching with conventional wheels, the Wright Flyer was placed on a 60-foot monorail with its landing skids resting on a wheeled truck.
Once the engine started, the Flyer was released and slid down the rail until . . . — Map (db m9769) |
| North Carolina (Dare County), Kill Devil Hills — Kill Devil Hills |
| | "...the sand fairly blinds us. It blows across the ground in clouds. We certainly can't complain of the place. We came down here for wind and sand, and we got them."
Letter from Orville Wright to Katharine Wright, October 18, 1900
"The practice ground at the Kill Devil Hills consists of a level plain of bare sand, from which rises a group of detached hills or mounds formed of sand heaped up by the winds. These hills are constantly changing in height and slope, . . . — Map (db m10146) |
| North Carolina (Dare County), Kill Devil Hills — Pitch, Roll and Yaw |
| | At the turn of the century, this large hill and the three hills surrounding it were known as the Kill Devil Hills. Wilbur and Orville Wright performed thousands of experimental glider flights here between 1900 and 1903. The culminatino of those tests, a glider performing a simple turn, unlocked the secrets of controlled flight. With this flight, the three axes of control were mastered and the age of aviation was at hand. — Map (db m9767) |
| North Carolina (Dare County), Kill Devil Hills — The 1901 Glider |
| | "Our first experiments were rather disappointing. The machine ... at times seemed to be entirely beyond control."
Orville Wright in a letter to his sister Katharine, July 28, 1901
The 1901 experiments at Kill Devil Hills were considered a failure. Orville later recalled Wilbur, on the trip back home to Dayton, stating in frustration, "Not within a thousand years would man ever fly!" — Map (db m10149) |
| North Carolina (Dare County), Kill Devil Hills — The 1902 Glider |
| | "Our new machine is a very great improvement over anything we had built before and over anything any one has built."
Letter from Wilbur Wright to his father, October 2, 1902
The Wrights' experiments with the successful 1902 Glider solved most of the problems in achieving stability, lift and control, and set the course for the 1903 first powered flight. Their basic paten was on the control mechanisms of this glider. — Map (db m10150) |
| North Carolina (Dare County), Kill Devil Hills — The 1903 Flyer |
| | "A couple of small boys, who had come with the men from the station, made a hurried departure over the hill for home on hearing the engine start."
Orville Wright, diary D. December 14, 1903
Determined to achieve powered flight before returning to Dayton, the Wright brothers focused on the assembly of the Flyer. A cracked propeller shaft, constant repairs to the machine, and lack of winds delayed their trials at powered flight. — Map (db m10151) |
| North Carolina (Dare County), Kill Devil Hills — The Conquest of the Air |
| | In commemoration of the conquest of the air…
Excerpt from the inscription on the monument atop Big Kill Devil Hill
From its establishment as a national monument in 1927 to the First Flight Centennial of 2003, the local people of the Outer Banks have shown “dauntless resolution and unconquerable faith” in honoring and recognizing the first flight of the Wright brothers.
The Kill Devil Hills Memorial Association, later to become the First Flight . . . — Map (db m10185) |
| North Carolina (Dare County), Kill Devil Hills — The First Flight |
| | "The flight lasted only 12 seconds, but nevertheless the first in the history of the world in which a machine carrying a man had raised itself by its own poer into full flight, had sailed forward without reduction of speed, and had finally landed at a point as high as that from which it had started."
Orville Wright, 1903
The first flight, December 17, 1903, 10:35 a.m., 120 feet in 12 seconds. Orville Wright is at the controls, lying prone on the lower wing.
Running alongside to . . . — Map (db m9771) |
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