Portal:Aviation/Historical anniversaries/April in aviation/April 24

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April 24

• 2001 - The unmanned aircraft Global Hawk flies automatically from Edwards Air Force Base in the US to Australia non-stop and unrefuelled. This is the longest point-to-point flight ever undertaken by an unmanned aircraft, the first pilotless aircraft to cross the Pacific Ocean, and took 23 hours and 23 minutes.

• 1992 - a USAF C-130 Hercules carrying out an anti-narcotics mission over Peru is attacked by Peruvian Air Force Sukhoi Su-22s.

• 1985 - LOT Polish Airlines inaugurates flights to JFK International Airport in New York.

• 1980 - helicopters from USS Nimitz participate in the abortive Operation Eagle Claw, a plan to rescue US hostages from Iran

• 1953 - EB-29 and two EF-84B flying as part of Project Tom-Tom crash with no survivors.

• 1940 - 24-28 - aircraft carrier HMS Glorious evacuates the Gloster Gladiators of No. 263 Squadron RAF from Norway

• 1929 - 24-26 - Sqn Ldr A. G. Jones-Wiliams and Flt Lt N. H. Jenkins make the first non-stop flight from England to India using a Fairey Long-Range Monoplane

• 1913 - O. Gilbert flies 825 km from Villacoublay to Vitoria (8 hours and 23 minutes).