Aviation history: classics & milestones

How September 11, 2001 changed aviation security and air travel

Four hijacked airliners, a completely closed airspace and an industry in crisis: this look back shows which rules emerged after September 11, 2001, which airlines did not survive the fallout and why plane spotting changed too.

The Berlin Airlift 1948/49: Candy Bombers, logistics and airports

Eleven months of blockade, three air corridors, three airfields in the western sectors and in the end more than two million tons of cargo: how the Berlin Airlift worked and what traces it left.

Boeing 707: how a prototype ushered in the jet age

From the risky Dash 80 prototype through the first Pan Am scheduled flight in 1958 to the E-3 Sentry: how the Boeing 707 made jet travel an everyday thing and where you can spot its descendants today.

The history of the Concorde: the rise and farewell of a legend

From the British-French agreement in 1962 to the final landing at Filton in 2003: how the Concorde came to be, what made it technically so special, why it failed and in which museums you can photograph it today.

De Havilland Comet: the first jet airliner and the lesson of metal fatigue

From the first flight at Hatfield in 1949 through the crashes off Elba and Naples to the water tank at Farnborough: how the de Havilland Comet accelerated aviation, failed because of metal fatigue and still shaped the design of every later jet.

Dornier Do X: the largest flying boat of its time

In 1929 the world’s largest aircraft took off at Lake Constance: the Dornier Do X with twelve engines and three decks. How the flying ship came about, what set it apart technically, why it never entered airline service and which traces can still be seen today.

Douglas DC-3: the aircraft that changed aviation

First flight in 1935, around 16,000 built, wartime service as the C-47 and Dakota, Candy Bombers over Berlin: the history of the DC-3 and why it made scheduled air travel economical in the first place.

The end of four-engine jets: why twinjets displaced the A340, 747 and A380

For decades, four engines on long-haul flights were a given. Today neither Airbus nor Boeing builds a four-engine widebody anymore. The reasons range from ETOPS and kerosene prices to the pandemic.

Kai Tak in Hong Kong: chronicle of a legendary airport

From a failed land reclamation project to the world’s busiest cargo airport: the story of Kai Tak in Hong Kong – with a runway in the harbor, the checkerboard approach, a terminal at its limit and the move to Chek Lap Kok in a single night.

Berlin Tegel Airport: architecture, history and closure

Built in 90 days for the Airlift, world-famous for its hexagonal terminal, hopelessly overloaded at the end: the story of Berlin Tegel Airport from 1948 to the last departure in November 2020 – and what is happening on the site today.

Tempelhof Airport: from central airport to Tempelhofer Feld

85 years of flying in the middle of Berlin: how Tempelhof went from Luft Hansa’s central airport to a symbol of the Airlift, why it closed in 2008 and what spotters can still find there today.

The Wright brothers and the first powered flight in 1903 at Kitty Hawk

Twelve seconds, 37 meters, a cold wind in the dunes of North Carolina: how two bicycle mechanics from Dayton solved the problem of flight systematically – and why their Flyer is still the benchmark of aviation history.

The history of the Boeing 747: from Jumbo Jet to Queen of the Skies

From the Pan Am order in 1966 to the 1,574th and last aircraft in 2023: how the first widebody jet came to be, why it has a hump and where you can still spot the Queen of the Skies today.

History of air traffic control: from beacons to radar

Flagman, beacon chain, radio range, radar, transponder, data link: in about a hundred years, air traffic control grew from improvisation into a dense network. The key milestones and what you can still see of them at the airport today.

Hindenburg 1937: the Lakehurst disaster and the end of the giant airships

On May 6, 1937, LZ 129 Hindenburg burst into flames on approach to Lakehurst, killing 36 people. The sequence of events, the search for the cause, the media impact and why the disaster ended scheduled service with giant airships.

Hughes H-4 Hercules (Spruce Goose): Howard Hughes’s giant flying boat

Eight engines, almost 98 meters of wingspan, built from laminated birch: the Hughes H-4 Hercules took off just once, on November 2, 1947. How the giant flying boat came to be, why it never entered service and where you can see the Spruce Goose today.

Interflug: East Germany’s airline and its fleet

From a stopgap in a name dispute to East Germany’s only airline: Interflug flew Ilyushins, Tupolevs and finally the Airbus A310. History, fleet, routes, accidents and the traces you can still find today.

Junkers Ju 52: the story of Tante Ju up to the last sightseeing flights

From a single-engine freighter from Dessau to Lufthansa’s standard aircraft and a sightseeing-flight classic: the history of the Ju 52 – and why 2018 became the turning point.

Lockheed Constellation: the elegant propeller airliner and where you can still see it today

Triple tail, curved fuselage, four radial engines: the Constellation defined long-haul travel before the jet age. Here is the story from the L-049 to the L-1649 – and where surviving examples are on display.

Otto Lilienthal: glider pioneer and his flying machines

From a device for measuring wing profiles to the world’s first production aircraft: how Otto Lilienthal studied gliding systematically, which machines he built and where to find his traces today.

Pan Am: rise and fall of an aviation legend

From mail flights to Havana to the jumbo jet: how Pan American World Airways shaped international aviation, why the airline collapsed in 1991 and what spotters can still find of it today.

Breaking the sound barrier: Chuck Yeager and the Bell X-1

A rocket plane shaped like a bullet, a pilot with broken ribs and a broom handle: how the Bell X-1 broke the sound barrier in October 1947, why it stayed secret for months and where you can photograph the aircraft today.

Soviet airliners: Tupolev, Ilyushin and Yakovlev at a glance

Tupolev, Ilyushin and Yakovlev shaped air travel in the Eastern Bloc for decades. A tour from the Tu-104 through the Tu-154 and Il-62 to the Il-96 – with recognition tips and pointers to where the classics can still be seen today.

Tenerife 1977: the Los Rodeos disaster and what it changed in the cockpit

On March 27, 1977, two Boeing 747s from KLM and Pan Am collided in fog at Los Rodeos Airport. The sequence, the radio traffic, the investigations and the consequences for phraseology and crew resource management.

Tupolev Tu-144: the Soviet supersonic icon and the Le Bourget crash

First flight on New Year’s Eve 1968, a crash in front of a Paris crowd, just 55 passenger flights: the story of the Soviet supersonic airliner Tu-144 – and why Sinsheim is the most important place for spotters.

Überlingen 2002: the midair collision over Lake Constance and what it meant for TCAS

On the night leading into July 2, 2002, a Bashkirian Airlines Tupolev Tu-154 and a DHL Boeing 757 collided over Überlingen, killing 71 people. The sequence, the causes and the rules that have applied in every cockpit since.

History of the Zeppelin: from LZ 1 to the Zeppelin NT

A count, Lake Constance and a dream of a steerable airship: how LZ 1 led to the world’s first airline, the round-the-world flyer Graf Zeppelin and finally the Zeppelin NT.