RAAF Short Sunderland in 1944.

 

USS Dwight D Eisenhower (CVN 69), 1987.

 

Sea Harrier FRS.51 in the lift of INS Viraat (Ex- HMS Hermes).

 

On this day 1978 the Royal Navy ceased steam catapult launches from Aircraft Carriers when the last ever jet, an F4K Phantom, was launched from HMS Ark Royal.

 

New F-15 EX Eagle.

 

F-15 Full Load. Looking for bother!

 

Test pilot George Aird narrowly escapes death by ejecting sideways from an English Electric Lightning F1 aircraft that nosedived in 1962, as a farmer casually watches from his tractor. The photographer, Jim Mead, took the photo soon after the ejection, and as can be seen, caught the pilot inverted with his parachute still unopened and the Lightning plummeting earthwards close to him. The tractor driver heard the bang of the ejection seat and is seen after quickly turning around to look at what was going on. The driver was 15 year old Mick Sutterby, who spent that summer working on the airfield. He wasn't posing for the camera. In fact, he was telling the photographer, Jim Mead, to move on, because he shouldn't be there. Fortunately, the pilot George Aird survived after coming down through a greenhouse roof, breaking both legs. He was unconscious due to the impact of landing and was woken by jets of cold water from the greenhouse's sprinkler system. He later recovered to resume his flying career.