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Bordeaux pélicandrome – end of the fiery season —

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 1d

On 3rd October 2025, the last #firefighting #aircraft left the #pélicandrome located within Bordeaux-Mérignac Air Base of Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace, thereby marking the end of this year’s #wildfire response operations.

Read more here:

On 3 October 2025, the last firefighting aircraft left the pélicandrome located within Bordeaux-Mérignac Air Base (base aérienne 106 – BA 106) of Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace (the French Air and Spac...

Aero A-18C (c/n ?, “Black 5”) racing aircraft, exhibited at Letecké muzeum Kbely (Kbely Aviation Museum), Prague, September 2025.

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 2d

In our latest #PhotoOfTheWeek, we highlight the #Aero A-18C — a sleek #Czechoslovak race-variant #biplane on display at Letecké muzeum Kbely in #Prague.

Are you intrigued by its design and legacy? Discover the full story on our website:

Aero A-18C —

Eight more MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters for the USAF —

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 3d

#Boeing has secured a contract to deliver eight more MH-139A Grey Wolf #helicopters to the #UnitedStatesAirForce, pushing the total under contract to thirty-four. The #GreyWolf, built on the AW139 platform, is already proving its multi-mission value.

Last week, Boeing officially announced that the company had been awarded an additional contract to produce eight more MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters for the United States Air Force. The deal, worth mor...

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 4d

After recalling one #iconic #Czechoslovak #aircraft yesterday, our today’s #Monday #Airshow Photo features another — the Zlín Z-226MS Trener Master. Captured at the Benediktinský Aeroklub Broumov Open Day 2025, this yellow #trainer is a #timeless symbol of #classic design.

Let L-200D Morava (c/n 171206, OK-NXX), flying display during an open doors event in Aeroklub Jaroměř, May 2015. In 1955, aviation plant in Kunovice, then known as Strojírny první pětiletky (Machine W...

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 5d

This #Sunday with Afterburner Archives, we look back at our first Photo of the Week of 2023 — the elegant Let L-200D #Morava. A true #Czechoslovak #aviation #icon with its distinctive, streamlined design making it stand out both in the air and on the ground.

Read the full story on Afterburner:

Let L-200D Morava —

Charles Alexandre Maurice Joseph Marie Jules Stanislas Jacques, Count de Lambert, was one of the first French aviation pioneers. He was born in 1865 in Funchal, the largest city of Madeira, but spent ...

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 6d

It’s #Saturday with a Short Aviation Story from Afterburner!

On 18th October 1909, Charles de Lambert became the first #aviator to fly around the #EiffelTower in a Wright Model A. This remarkable feat remains one of the most daring moments in early #aviation #history.

Read more here:

Charles de Lambert —

10 October 1976 – Maiden Flight of the Embraer EMB 121 Xingu —

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Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 7d

#Aviation #History #Friday with Afterburner!

Today marks 49 years since the #firstflight of the Embraer EMB-121 Xingu — a #Brazilian #turboprop #aeroplane that blended innovation with practicality.

Discover its story on Afterburner:

On 10th October 1976, the prototype of a small utility aircraft, the Embraer EMB 121 Xingu, performed its first flight.

Clément Ader and the first powered flight of an aeroplane —

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 8d

Today marks 135 years since Clément Ader’s pioneering step toward powered #flight. In 1890, the #French inventor’s brief, uncontrolled hop aboard his steam-powered Éole #aircraft became a #milestone that reshaped the future of #aviation.

Discover the full story on Afterburner:

Today marks the 135th anniversary of the first manned flight in a heavier-than-air aircraft, successfully performed by the French aviation pioneer Clément Ader. Although the flight was uncontrolled an...

VFW 614 (c/n G18, D-AXDB, formerly 17+02 of Luftwaffe / the German Air Force), exhibited at the Aeronauticum Nordholz aviation museum, June 2019.

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 9d

Another #Wednesday — another #PhotoOfTheWeek from Afterburner!

This time we feature the #VFW614, a rare #German #regionaljet preserved at the #AeronauticumNordholz #aviation #museum — a tribute to bold post-war #European innovation in aviation.

VFW 614 —

ViaSat-3 – the second Viasat´s next generation spacecraft —

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 10d

The #ViaSat3 project continues its mission to redefine global connectivity. With the second satellite delivered by #Boeing at the end of September, #Viasat moves closer to building one of the most advanced #broadband #geostationary #satellite #constellations ever created.

At the end of September 2025, Boeing delivered the second spacecraft in Viasat´s next generation ultra-high-capacity constellation, the ViaSat-3 F2. Coupled with the Boeing 702MP+ platform, the satell...

Wagner DOWA 81, home-made aircraft, exhibited at Deutsches Museum / Flugwerft Schleissheim, Munich, October 2019. Between 1945 and 1989, approximately four million East Germans moved to the West Germa...

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 11d

Another #Monday #Airshow Photo from Afterburner!

Today we feature the #AirbusHelicopters #H135 of the #Polish #HEMS — a true symbol of precision and dedication in the skies above #Poland — captured at the World #Helicopter Rally 2023 in #Płock.

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 12d

Another #Sunday - another Photo of the Week from Afterburner archives

This time we recall Wagner DOWA 81 - the unique home-built #aircraft, hiding an incredible story of courage, ingenuity, and determination of its creator.

Discover its fascinating history here:

Wagner DOWA 81 —

Eugène Adrien Roland Georges Garros, the French aviation pioneer and fighter pilot, was born on 6th October 1888, in Saint-Denis, Réunion island.

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 13d

Short #Aviation Story #Saturday

Many know #RolandGarros as the name behind the famous tennis stadium — but he was also a daring #aviation #pioneer, one of the first #fighter #pilots and theoretics of early #aerial #combat during #WWI.

Dive into his story and rediscover the man behind the #legend:

Roland Garros —

3 October 1968 – first flight of the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle —

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Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 14d

57 years ago today, on 3rd October 1968, the #LunarLandingTrainingVehicle ( #LLTV ) — a deceptively simple machine designed to teach #astronauts how to land on the #Moon — had its #firstflight.

Are you curious how it looked, worked, and why it was so critical to #lunar missions? Read here:

On 3rd October 1968, the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle #1 (LLTV-1) performed its maiden flight at Ellington Air Force Base.

Pushing the limits – the “Plane Climb” project —

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 15d

Professional #climber from #Slovenia, #DomenŠkofic, made #history by becoming #thefirst person in the world to climb a #flying #aircraft, as part of the #RedBull “Plane Climb” project — turning an iconic Let L-13 #Blaník #glider into an aerial climb route.

Read the full story:

On 30th September 2025, professional climber from Slovenia, Domen Škofic, made history by becoming the first person in the world to complete a specially designed climbing route along the wings of a fl...

Anatra Anasal (c/n 010.91?, formerly “11120” of Letecký sbor Československé armády / Aviation Corps of the Czechoslovak Army), exhibited in the National Technical Museum, Prague, April 2025.

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 16d

Photo of the Week: Anatra Anasal

In our latest #PhotoOfTheWeek we feature the Anatra Anasal #reconnaissance #aircraft that played a unique role in early #military #aviation. A preserved example can now be seen at the National Technical Museum in #Prague.

Dive deeper into its story here:

Anatra Anasal —

Operation Titan reaches the milestone of 300th space launch —

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 17d

Operation Titan reaches the milestone of 300th space launch

On 12th August 2025, the #Ariane6 #rocket lifted off from the #GuianaSpaceCentre on its third mission, marking the 300th rocket #launch protected under Operation Titan by the #FrenchArmedForces in #Guiana.

Full story here:

On 12th August 2025, the Ariane 6 expendable launch system successfully carried out its third space mission, launching from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. In addition, it marked the...

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 18d

Another #Monday — another #Airshow Photo from Afterburner

We return to the 2025 Open Day at Benediktinský Aeroklub Broumov with a look at three #Czechoslovak #gliders from the 1960s — the VT-16 Orlík & VT-116 Orlík II ZK. Timeless #classics of #soaring #flight.

Canadair CF-104 Starfighter —

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 19d

It’s #Sunday with Afterburner

Our Photo of the Week Archives this time recall the #Canadair CF-104 #Starfighter — an #aircraft that pushed the limits of speed and design during the #ColdWar.

Today it rests at the #HarbiyeMilitaryMuseum in #Istanbul, carrying stories of long service.

Canadair CF-104 Starfighter (c/n 683A-1033, ´8-733´ of the Turkish Air Force), exhibited at Harbiye Military Museum and Cultural Site Command (Harbiye Askeri Müze ve Kültür Sitesi Komutanlığı), Istanb...

French air raids on Gibraltar —

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 20d

On 24th - 25th September 1940, #bombers of #VichyFrance launched major #AirRaids against #Gibraltar in retaliation for Operation Menace - the Allied attempt to capture Dakar, a Vichy-controlled port in French West #Africa.

Read more in our latest #Saturday Short #Aviation Story:

On 24th September 1940, Vichy France carried out its first air raid on Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula.

26 September 1986 – first flight of the Piaggio P.180 Avanti —

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 21d

It’s #Aviation #History #Friday with Afterburner

39 years ago, on 26th September 1986, the #prototype of the #Piaggio P.180 #Avanti made its #firstflight — a sleek #turboprop #aeroplane blending elegance, speed & innovation.

Discover its story in our latest article:

On 26th September 1986 (or 23rd September, according to some publications), the prototype of the new light transport aircraft, the Piaggio P.180 Avanti, made its maiden flight.

Aviation treasures - the National Technical Museum in Prague —

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 22d

If you’re passionate about #aviation and #history, the #NationalTechnicalMuseum in #Prague is a must-see. We explored its Transport Hall and found some real gems.

Curious? Read our full report and join us on a journey through one of the most fascinating #museums in #Europe!

Národní technické museum (the National Technical Museum (NTM), the largest institution of its kind in the Czech Republic, houses an extensive collection of technical artefacts. As of 2023, the museum’...

Junkers J 1 (full-scale replica), exhibited at Technikmuseum “Hugo Junkers” in Dessau, August 2025.

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 23d

Another #Wednesday and another #PhotoOfTheWeek from Afterburner

This time we’re featuring the #remarkable #Junkers J 1 — the #aeroplane that changed the way people thought about building #aircraft. Often nicknamed the “Blechesel”, it carries a story full of #innovation, controversy, and #legacy.

Junkers J 1 —

Wings over Broumov – Open Day 2025 —

Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine @afterburneravia.bsky.social · 24d

On 6th September 2025, #BenediktinskýAeroklubBroumov hosted its annual #OpenDay, welcoming #aviation fans and local residents.

Read our #report for more details.

On 6th September 2025, Benediktinský Aeroklub Broumov (the Benedictine Aeroclub Broumov) organised another edition of its annual open day. Despite the rainy weather, the event attracted many curious v...