Iran Air Flight 277, crashes while performing a go-around atUrmia Airport killing 77 of the 106 people aboard, and injuring 26 people. A total of 28 people survived. The aircraft involved in the accident was a Boeing 727-286Adv.
10 January
AirAsia Flight 5218, operated byAirbus A320-216 9M-AHH, sustained substantial damage in a runway excursion accident atKuching Airport, Malaysia. All 123 passengers and six crew members survived. The Flight fromKuala Lumpur Subang International Airport toKuching Airport. The flight landed onKuching's runway 25 in heavy rain around but skidded to the right and went off the side of the runway. It came to rest in the grass with the nose gear dug in or collapsed.[3]
British Airways andIberia merge to formInternational Airlines Group (IAG), the world's third-largest airline in terms of annual revenue and the second-largest airline group in Europe. However, both airlines continue to operate under their previous brands.
TheUnited States Air Force announces that theC-17 Globemaster III is its first aircraft certified to fly onbiofuel. The certification clears the C-17 to fly on a volumetric blend of up to 50 percentHRJ biofuel and 50 percentJP-8 conventionaljet fuel or on a blend of 25 percent HRJ, 25 percent synthetic paraffinickerosene fuel, and 50 percent JP-8. It also announces that it plans to complete flight testing of HRJ by February 2012 and to have all U.S. Air Force aircraft certified to use biofuels by December 2012.[7]
Two senior Libyan Air Force pilots fly theirDassault Mirage F1 fighters toMalta and request political asylum after defying orders to bomb protesters.[13][14] Two civilian helicopters also land in Malta after a flight from Libya, carrying seven passengers who claim to be French oil workers.[14]
The Libyan opposition's interim-government council formally requests that the United Nations impose a no-fly zone over Libya and conduct precision air strikes against Libyan government forces,[20] and theArab League states that a no-fly zone is necessary and adds that in cooperation with theAfrican Union, it could impose a militarily-enforced no-fly zone without the United Nation's backing.[25]
4 March
The Libyan Air Force conducts occasional air strikes on Ajdabiya's weapon-storage area, with no reported casualties.[26]
Libyan opposition forces capture the Libyan airbase atRa's Lanuf.[27]
Opposition forces shoot down a Libyan Air Force jet fighter over Ra's Lanuf after it attempts to bomb the town, killing its two pilots.[28][29]
9 March
TheSpace ShuttleDiscovery, first of the space shuttles to be retired, glides to a landing to end its 39th and final mission – the most by any space shuttle.[30]
A U.S. Air Force MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle overshoots therunway at Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport in Djibouti, Djibouti, and crashes into a fence. No one is injured. Investigators blame the accident on a meltedthrottle part and pilot confusion and inattention, as well as the inability of any remote pilot to react to cues such as wind rush or high engine pitch that would suggest to the pilot of a manned aircraft that the aircraft was approaching the runway too steeply and at too high a speed.[4]
AUnited States Air ForceF-22 Raptor reachesMach 1.5 duringsupercruise at an altitude of 40,000 feet (12,000 meters) overEdwards Air Force Base,California, using fuel made of a 50/50 blend ofJP-8 conventionaljet fuel and abiofuel made fromCamelina sativa. The flight, which also included other maneuvers, is a major step forward toward the U.S. Air Force's goal of using alternative fuel blends derived from domestic sources to meet 50 percent of its domestic aviation fuel needs by 2016.[35]
An airstrike by the international coalition against a Libyan government military ground convoy approachingMisrata destroys 14tanks, 20armored personnel carriers, and several trucks filled with ammunition, killing at least 14 Libyan government soldiers.[40]
Coalition air strikes target Libyan government military forces in Misrata, atAjdabiya's eastern gate, in easternTripoli, and atTajura. They also hit Libyan leaderMuammar Gaddafi's compound atBab al-Aziziya.[43][44] Royal Air ForceAir Vice MarshalGreg Bagwell states that the Libyan Air Force "no longer exists as a fighting force" and that coalition aircraft are "operating with impunity" over Libya.[45]
24 March
A French fighter aircraft destroys a Libyan governmentSoko G-2 Galeb military trainer aircraft on the ground just after it had landed at a Libyan base following a flight in which it violated the no-fly zone over Libya.[46] French aircraft also bomb theAl Jufra Air Base.[47][48]
25 March
French and British jets strike Libyan government tanks andartillery in eastern Libya to help rebel forces to takeAjdabiya.[49]
Coalition aircraft attack targets on the outskirts of Misrata, Libya.[52]
France reports that at least five Libyan governmentSoko G-2 Galeb fighter planes and two Libyan governmentMil Mi-24 (NATO reporting name "Hind")attack helicopters preparing to attack rebel forces in theAz Zintan and Misrata regions have been shot down in the last 24 hours.[53]
28 March
British jets bomb ammunition bunkers in southern Libya and destroy 22 tanks, other armoured vehicles, and artillery pieces in the vicinity of Ajdabiya and Misrata.[54]
28–29 March (overnight)
Coalition aircraft fly 115 strike sorties against targets in Libya.[55]
After asandstorm prevents strikes the previous day, coalition aircraft begin attacks against Libyan government forces aroundRa's Lanuf and on the road toUqayla.[57]
In theLibyan Civil War, a coalition airstrike attacking a Libyan government ground convoy in easternLibya causes a truck carrying ammunition to explode, destroying two nearby houses. Seven civilians die and 25 are wounded.[62]
A Libyan rebel convoy nearBrega fires into the air with ananti-aircraft gun, perhaps in celebration. A U.S. Air ForceA-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft believing it was under attack by Libyan government forces then returns fire, killing at least 13 people.[63]
Coalition airstrikes against an eight-vehicle Libyan government military convoy approaching rebel positions 30 km (19 mi) east ofBrega destroy two vehicles. The rest turn back.[65]
7 April
Unaware that Libyan rebels had taken possession of any tanks,North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) aircraft mistakenly strike a Libyan rebel tank convoy nearAjdabiya, killing thirteen and wounding many,[66][67] Other NATO airstrikes mistakenly kill two rebels and wound 10 in Brega.[68][69]
10 April
NATO announces that its airstrikes in Libya underOperation Unified Protector have destroyed 11 Libyan governmenttanks near Ajdabiya and 14 near Misrata during the day.[70] Libyan rebels announce that NATO airstrikes have helped them hold Ajdabiya and drive Gaddafi's forces out during the weekend's attack.[71]
11 April
NATO announces that its Operation Unified Protector airstrikes have destroyed 49 Libyan government tanks since 9 April, including 13 on 9 April 25 on 10 April, and 11 on 11 April.[72]
Coalition jets strike Tripoli, Libya, targeting a military base and damaging parts of a university complex. Libyan governmentantiaircraft artillery in central Tripoli fires at them.[74]
Libyan rebels claim that coalition airstrikes on Libyan government forces on theAl Zaitoniya–Al Soihat road nearAjdabiya hit 21 military vehicles but NATO does not confirm their claim.[75]
25 April
Prime Minister ofItalySilvio Berlusconi approves the use of Italian aircraft in ground-attack missions in Libya as part of NATO's Operation Unified Protector.[76]
27 April
NATO airstrikes mistakenly kill 11 Libyan rebels and wound two in Misrata.[77]
30 April
The Syrian government deploys helicopters toDaraa in response to antiregime protests there as violence increases in theSyrian Civil War.[78]
A NATO airstrike in Tripoli kills Libyan leaderMuammar Gaddafi's sonSaif al-Arab Gaddafi. The Libyan government claims that three of Said al-Arab Gaddafi's children also die in the attack.[79]
A U.S. Air Force MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle suffers an electrical failure and crashes in theGulf of Aden one mile (1.6 km) offDjibouti,Djibouti.[4]
The firstSolar Impulse aircraft,HB-SIA, the firstsolar-powered aircraft capable of both day and night flight thanks to its batteries charged by solar power, makes its first international flight, flying 630 km (390 mi) fromPayerne Airport outsidePayerne,Switzerland, toBrussels Airport inBelgium, in 12 hours 59 minutes at an average speed of 50 km/h (31 mph).[85][86]
17 May
A U.S. Air Force MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle carrying a liveAGM-114 Hellfireair-to-surface missile misses the runway at Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport in Djibouti, Djibouti, by three miles (4.8 km) and crashes near a residential area. Its missile does not explode, and no one is injured.[4]
18 May
Omega Aerial Refueling Services Flight 70, a Boeing 707, veers off the runway in California following an engine separation. The aircraft is consumed by fire. Everyone survives.
19–20 May (overnight)
NATO aircraft raidLibyan Navy bases at Tripoli,Khoms, andSirte in the largest attack against Libyan government naval forces thus far in theLibyan Civil War. During the Khoms raids, British aircraft hit twocorvettes at Khoms withlaser-guided bombs and damage an inflatable-boat manufacturing facility, and NATO aircraft set a warship at Tripoli afire. NATO aircraft also hit a police academy in Tripoli'sTajoura neighborhood.[87]
21 May
NATO conducts 147 air sorties over Libya, targeting twocommand-and-control facilities in and near Tripoli, an ammunition storage facility near Tripoli, a naval asset nearSirte, twoair defense radars nearAl Khums, and a tank and a military truck nearZintan. Since NATO took command of air strikes in Libya on 31 March 31, its aircraft have conducted 2,975 strike and 4.757 other sorties.[58]
23 May
France and the United Kingdom announce that they will begin to useattack helicopters in Libya to increase the accuracy of NATO airstrikes and allow more precise strikes againsturban targets.[88]
24 May
NATO stages the largest air attacks against Tripoli since th beginning of the international intervention in theLibyan Civil War, with ore than 20 airstrikes hitting Tripoli near Libyan leaderMuammar Gaddafi's compound. The Libyan government reports at least three people killed and dozens wounded.[89]
26 May
The United Kingdom announces plans to send fourApache helicopters to serve in the Libyan conflict.[90]
27 May
NATO aircraft conduct 151 sorties over Libya, striking a command and control facility in Tripoli, ammunition storage facilities near Sirte,Mizda, andHun, a rocket launcher and two truck-mounted guns nearMisrata, and foursurface-to-air missile launchers nearZintan. NATO jets also destroy the guard towers surrounding Gaddafi'sBab al-Azizia compound in Tripoli. NATO aircraft have flown 8,585 sorties over Libya since NATO took command of the operations there on 31 March.[91]
As of 27 May, a total of twenty NATO ships were actively patrolling the Central Mediterranean.[90][91]
28 May
Japanesewingsuit pilotShin Ito sets a world record for the highest speed reached in a wingsuit flight, achieving a speed of 363 km/h (226 mph) overYolo County,California. The jump starts from an altitude of 32,000 feet (9,800 meters).[92]
The Libyan government claims that NATO air raids have killed 718 civilians and injured more than 4,000 since the international bombing campaign to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya began.[94]
British Army Air Corps Apache attack helicopters from HMSOcean destroy several Libyan government targets near the Brega-Ajdabiya front line, including ammunition bunkers and radar installations. French Gazelles hit numerous targets around Brega in preparation for an expected rebel ground offensive.[98][99]
A NATO airstrike accidentally hits a civilian neighborhood in Tripoli, Libya. The Libyan government claims that at least five people died in the attack.[104][105]
Libyan government antiaircraft fire shoots down an unmanned NATOMQ-8 Fire Scout helicopter drone on a reconnaissance flight nearZliten, Libya.[106]
29 June
KLM becomes the first airline in the world to provide flights usingbiofuel.[107]
The French military confirms that it had air-dropped weapons in early June to Libyan rebels fighting in the highlands south of Tripoli, whichRussia and theAfrican Union in particular argue was in violation of the arms embargo against Libya underUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.[108]
An airstrip laid out along a stretch of highway near Rhebat in the Nafusa Mountains was opened by a senior NTC minister, allowing an air connection via a small private company,Air Libya, between Benghazi and the Amazigh rebels.[112]
NATO aircraft strike various targets inZiltan, Libya. The Libyan government claims that they struck a health clinic, a food-storage complex, and a military base and killed at least 11 civilians. NATO later rejects the claims, saying its planes hit a command-and-control node and a vehicle storage facility.[116]
TheGovernment ofNiger begins patrols byNiger Air Force aircraft over its border with Libya to avoid infiltration of Niger's territory by armed groups from Libya and the crossing of the border by mercenaries from theSahel heading toSabha, Libya, and to end the smuggling of military forces and resources out of Libya.[131]
Key West International Airport receives approval to provide commercial air service betweenKey West,Florida, andCuba. It will take more than two years for charter airline operators to receive all the necessary permissions to make the first flight, which will take place on30 December 2013 as the first commercial flight between Key West and Cuba in over 50 years.[143]
10 October
Flying a modifiedYakovlev Yak-3U powered by aPratt & Whitney R-2000 engine,William Whiteside sets an official international speed record for piston-engined aircraft in the under−3,000 kg (−6,600 lb) category, reaching 655 km/h (407 mph) over a 3 km (1.9 mi) course at theBonneville Salt Flats inUtah in the United States, greatly exceeding the previous record of 491 km/h (305 mph) set in 2002 byJim Wright.[144]
In the same modified Yak-3U, William Whiteside sets an unofficial speed record for piston-engined aircraft in the under−3,000 kg (−6,600 lb) category of 670 km/h (420 mph) over the same 3 km (1.9 mi) course at the Bonneville Salt Flats.[144]
An electric-poweredmulticopter achieves sustained flight without ground assistance for the first time, when the battery-powered, 16-rotore-volo VC1 helicopter achieves an altitude of 3 meters (9.8 feet) for 90 seconds atKarlsruhe,Germany. The VC1 reportedly can remain airborne for 20 minutes on a single charge. The flight will wine-volo theLindbergh Prize for advances inenvironmentally friendly ("green") aviation.[147]
U.S. Air Force inspectors ground the Air Force's MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles based at Seychelles International Airport on Mahé in the Seychelles after discovering that the Reapers, operated by the private firmMerlin RAMCo, had not received required mechanical upgrades. The Reapers remain grounded until December.[4]
Americanwingsuit flierDean Potter makes the longest verified wingsuitBASE jump in terms of distance traveled, covering 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles) in a jump from theEiger inSwitzerland. His flight involves a descent of 9,200 feet (2,800 meters) and lasts 3 minutes 20 seconds.[153]
13 November
TheDubai-based airlineEmirates orders 50Boeing 777 airliners worth about US$18,000,000,000 – the largest order in terms of commercial value inBoeing's history at the time – with an option to purchase 20 more 777s for another $8,000,000,000.[154]
18 November
Lion Air and Boeing sign the most valuable commercial order in history at the time, a$21,700,000,000 Lion Air order for 201Boeing 737 MAX and 29Boeing 737-900ER airliners. At 230 aircraft, it is also the single biggest order in history at the time for airliners in terms of the number of aircraft ordered. The deal also includes options for another 150 future aircraft for Lion Air.[155][156]
26 November
American aircraft participating in aNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-Afghan operation against insurgents inAfghanistan near the border with Pakistan mistakenly attack a Pakistani border post, killing 24 Pakistani soldiers.[157]
Iran announces its capture of the CIA UAV, claiming to have shot it down. The United States acknowledges the loss of the UAV for the first time, but denies that it was shot down.[158]
The low-costThai airlineThai Lion Air, a subsidiary ofLion Air, makes its first flight, flying on theBangkok-Chiang Mai route. It begins full service the following day.
10 December
Thai Lion Air andMalindo Air conclude an agreement allowing both airlines to serve the Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur route.
The engine of an unarmed, contractor-operated U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle fails two minutes after takeoff from Seychelles International Airport on Mahé in the Seychelles. The Reaper descends too quickly while its operator attempts an emergency landing at the airport, touches down too far along the runway, bounces over a perimeter road andbreakwater, and crashes and sinks in the Indian Ocean about 200 feet (61 meters) offshore.[4]
^Dagher, Sam; Hodge, Nathan; Solomon, Jay; Fidler, Stephen (25 March 2011)."NATO To Enforce No-Fly Zone Over Libya".The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved10 April 2011.
^Johnson, Andrew (2 September 2011). "Blue Angels Use Biofuel at Patuxent Air Show.". United States Department of Defense (press release). Retrieved 3 September 2011.
