Date On This Date In Aviation History Information Source 9/18/1945 Bomber Command Target: naval centre at Bremerhaven, 200 aircraft attack. The Bomber War by Robin Neillands 9/18/2005 Last flight by a Convair 580 in DHL/Swiftair service. Aeroplane Monthly, March 2006 9/18/1911 First flight of the twin engine Shorts Triple Twin. Pilot: Frank McLean. Milestones of the Air, 1969 9/18/1911 Short S39 "Triple Twin" made its first flight. Wright To Fly, by Peter R. March 9/18/1928 Cierva flew his C8L-III autogiro, powered by a Lynx engine, across the English Channel with a passenger aboard. Wright To Fly, by Peter R. March 9/18/1947 The US Air Force was officially established. Wright To Fly, by Peter R. March 9/18/2000 The Boeing X-32A made its inaugural flight, thereby becoming the first of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) prototypes to take to the air. Wright To Fly, by Peter R. March 9/18/1918 Major R.W. Schroeder sets a world altitude record of 28,899 feet over McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio. U.S. Airforce - A Complete History by The Air Force Historical Foundation 9/18/1921 Lieutenant J.A. Macready sets a world altitude record of 34,508 feet while piloting a Packard LePere fighter biplane over McCook Field, Ohio. Macready earns the Mackay Trophy. U.S. Airforce - A Complete History by The Air Force Historical Foundation 9/18/1923 Army Lieutenant Rex K. Stoner, flying a Sperry M-1 Messenger, successfully accomplishes a mid-air hook-up with an Army D-3 airship. U.S. Airforce - A Complete History by The Air Force Historical Foundation 9/18/2000 First conventional flight of the Boeing X-32A. Pilot:Fred Knox. X Planes and Prototypes By Jim Winchester 9/18/1948 Convair test pilot Sam Shannon flies the Model 7-002 for the first time at Edwards AFB, California. The 7-002 will be accepted by the Air Force and redesignated as the XF-92. U.S. Airforce - A Complete History by The Air Force Historical Foundation