Feb 06 2018
Margot Duhalde, the only woman to join the Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres (FAFL, Free French Air Force), passed away on 5 February 2018 in Santiago de Chili. Born in 1920, she was of French origin and became a pilot in 1938. Following de Gaulle’s call, she joined the FAFL in March 1941 but was not …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2018/02/06/margot-duhalde-free-french-pilot-has-died/
Dec 28 2017
Jerome “Jerry” Yellin, who flew the last American combat mission of World War II, passed away on December 21. On 15 August 1945, Yellin and his wingman Philip Schlamberg of the 78th Fighter Squadron took off from Iwo Jima to strafe Japanese airfields near Nagoya. Japan was imminently expected to surrender and the pair was to …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2017/12/28/jerome-jerry-yellin-%e2%80%a0/
Nov 14 2017
Thomas J. Hudner Jr., the only US Naval aviator to be awarded the Medal of Honor during the Korean War, died age 93 at his home in Concord, Massachusetts, on 13 November 2017. Born on 31 August 1924, Thomas Hudner was flying F4U Corsairs with VF-32 when the Korean War broke out. On 4 December 1950, …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2017/11/14/thomas-j-hudner-%e2%80%a0/
Sep 02 2017
An Antonov An-2 crashed today at an airshow in Balachikha near Moscow. The two pilots were killed in the accident, but no members of the public were hurt. The scene was filmed from many angles and appears to show the pilot attempting a hard left turn to avoid the public before losing control and hitting the …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2017/09/02/two-killed-in-antonov-an-2-crash-at-russian-airshow/
Aug 28 2017
A de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth crashed Saturday morning in Shaftesbury, near Compton Abbas Airfield in Dorset. Tragically, the pilot, aged 64, and his passenger, aged 67, were killed in the accident. The causes for the accident are unknown. Source: The Sun
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2017/08/28/two-killed-in-tiger-moth-crash-in-the-uk/
Aug 25 2017
Stephen C. Ananian, who flew P-51 Mustangs with the 339th Fighter Group during World War II passed away on June 28, 2017. Stephen was born on Christmas Day 1922 and joined the Army Air Corps after Pearl Harbor. He was deployed to the UK with the 339th FG and was shot down on his first …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2017/08/25/stephen-c-ananian-%e2%80%a0/
Jul 17 2017
Vlado Lenoch and his passenger Bethany Root were killed in the crash of the P-51 Mustang “Baby Duck” on Sunday, July 16 in Atchison county, Kansas. Vlado Lenoch was a respected member of the warbird community and a member of the Air Force Heritage Flight since its creation in 1997. Bethany Root was general manager at the …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2017/07/17/usa-two-killed-in-p-51-mustang-crash/
Apr 24 2017
Javier Fernando Arango was killed in the crash of his Nieuport 28 replica last Sunday near Paso Robles, California. Arango, aged 54 ans, was a board member emeritus of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museumet and owner of “one of the world’s finest private collections of World War I aircraft.” Sources: The Tribune (San Luis Obispo) …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2017/04/24/pilot-killed-in-nieuport-28-replica-crash/
Feb 13 2017
Gaël Taburet, the last surviving Normandie-Niémen pilot, passed away on February 10 in Southern France, aged 97. Born in 1919, Taburet enlisted in the French air force in 1938 and received his pilot’s wings in 1939. In January 1944, he volunteered to join the Normandie fighter regiment (later renamed Normandie-Niémen by Stalin in recognition of …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2017/02/13/gael-taburet-last-surviving-normandie-niemen-pilot-has-passed-away/
Dec 15 2016
John “Jock” Moffat, the Swordfish pilot who crippled the German battleship Bismarck on 26 May 1941, has died at the age of 97. On the day of the attack, it is believed that Moffat and his crew were able to launch a torpedo that struck and jammed Bismarck’s rudder, preventing it from escaping from the …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2016/12/15/jock-moffat-%e2%80%a0/
Dec 08 2016
John Herschel Glenn Jr. passed away today, aged 95. While he is especially famous for being the first American to orbit the Earth, he led a very rich aeronautical career as a fighter and test pilot, and was three times a US senator. Born in 1921, Glenn joined the US Navy after Pearl Harbor and …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2016/12/08/john-glenn-first-american-in-orbit-has-passed-away/
Oct 25 2016
Legendary pilot Bob Hoover passed away today aged 94. He is often considered as one of the greatest pilots of all times. Born in 1922, Hoover became a fighter pilot and flew 59 combat missions before being shot down in 1944. He was captured and spent 16 months in German prisons before escaping by stealing …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2016/10/25/bob-hoover-passes-away/
Oct 02 2016
A P-51D Mustang crashed this Sunday afternoon in Topcroft near Norwich in the United-Kingdom. The passenger, a man in his eighties, was killed in the crash. The pilot was seriously injured and was airlifted to the hospital. The accident aircraft is P-51D Mustang “Janie”, owned and operated by Maurice Hammond from Hardwick the former RAF …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2016/10/02/one-dead-and-one-injured-in-mustang-crash-in-the-uk/
Aug 08 2016
Scotty Wilson, test pilot of the Bugatti 100P replica and leader and mentor of the group, was killed last Saturday during the 3rd test flight of the aircraft shortly after take-off. “Scotty’s aviation career spans six decades and nearly 11,000 hours in everything from Cubs to F-16s. After a thirty-year Air Force career, Scotty transitioned to …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2016/08/08/scotty-wilson-killed-in-bugatti-100p-crash/
Jun 23 2016
David J. Thatcher, one of the two remaining survivors of the famous Doolittle Raid, passed away on June 22, 2016 in Missoula, Montana. “Dick” Cole, a close friend of Thatcher, is now the sole surviving member of the group of 80 men who attacked Japan on 18 April 1942. Although such honours are rarely accorded …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2016/06/23/two-aviation-legends-pass-away-david-thatcher-and-punchy-powell/
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