April 1
- In 1904… Using a glider imperfectly modeled by Ernest Archdeacon
on an outdated Wright design, artillery captain Ferdinand Ferber
launched himself into a short hop from a massive dune in Berc-Sur-Mer,
Normandy, France. (AYY) - In 1918… The United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force is born. It is
formed out the army’s Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air
Service. (AYY) - In 1921… French pilot Adrienne Bollard takes off from Mendoza,
Argentina in a Cauldron biplane to become the first woman to fly over
the Andes. She completes the historic Andean crossing to the Chilean
capital, Santiago in 10 hours. (AYY) - In 1953… BEA (British European Airways) and Air France introduce tourist-class fares on their European routes. (AYY)
- In 1976… Lufthansa’s first two Airbus A300Bs enter service. They
will fly between Frankfurt and Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart and
London. (AYY)
April 2
- In 1794… The world’s first air force, the Aerostatic Corps of the
Artillery Service is formed in France following a demonstration ascent
from the gardens of the Chalais-Meudon on the outskirts of Paris in the
hydrogen balloon L’Entreprenant, the first used for military tests.
(F&F) - In 1937… Swedish airplane manufacturer Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (SAAB) is established in Trollh