1951 in aviation

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This is a list of aviation-related events from 1951:

Events

February

• February 21 - an English Electric Canberra becomes the first jet to make an unrefuelled crossing of the Atlantic, taking 4 hours 37 minutes

March

• March 6 - the Martin aircraft company gains production rights to the English Electric Canberra as the B-57
• March 15 - a QANTAS flying boat makes a survey flight from Sydney to Valparaíso via Easter Island, the airline's first flight across the South Pacific.

April

• April 12 - 48 USAF B-29 Superfortresses attack the Sinuiju Railway Bridge on the Yalu River.

May

• May 1 - US Navy A-1 Skyraiders and F4U Corsairs from USS Princeton attack the Hwachon Dam, flooding the Pukhan River
• May 20 - Cpt James Jabra becomes the first fighter ace to score his five victories in a jet (a F-86 Sabre) over jets (Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15s)
• May 29 - Cpt C. Blair makes the first solo flight over the North Pole, in a P-51 Mustang

June

• June 1 - BEA commences helicopter services between London and Birmingham

July

• July 6 - aerial refueling is used under combat conditions for the first time, with a KB-29 Superfortress refueling four RF-80 Shooting Stars over North Korea

August

• The Canadian Blue Devils aerobatic team is disbanded.
• August 1 - Japan Air Lines is formed
• August 7 - William Bridgeman sets a new airspeed record in the Douglas Skyrocket of Mach 1.88 (1,245 mph, 1,992 km/h).
• August 15 - William Bridgeman sets a new altitude record in the Douglas Skyrocket of 74,494 ft (22,706 m)
• August 15 - BEA commences turboprop freight services

September

• September 21 - the US Marine Corps makes the world's first mass combat deployment by helicopter. 228 Marines are landed in 12 Sikorsky HRS

October

• October 3 - HS-1 is commissioned, the US Navy's first ASW helicopter squadron

• October 25 - Japan Airlines flies its first flights, using three Northwest Airlines Martin 2-0-2 aircraft, flown by Northwest crews. [link]

December

• December 1 - F/O Bruce Gogerly of 77 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), flying a Gloster Meteor, shoots down a Soviet-piloted MiG-15, the first of four air-to-air kills for RAAF pilots during the Korean War.[link]
• December 12 - Alaska Air becomes the first airline to fly over the North Pole
• December 13 - Maj George Davis of the 334th Fighter Interceptor Squadron shoots down four MiG-15s in a single day

First flights

• February 23 - Dassault Mystére I

• March 12 - Fairey Delta FD.1
• March 15 - Sud-Ouest SO.30R

• April 26 - Lockheed X-7

• May 18 - Vickers Valiant prototype WB210

• June 20 - Bell X-5, first aircraft with swing wings
• June 21 - Handley Page HP.88

• July 20 - Hawker Hunter prototype WB188

• August 31 - Supermarine Type 508

• September 26 - de Havilland Sea Vixen

• November 26 - Gloster Javelin prototype WD804

• December 10 - Fiat G.80, Italy's first true jet
• December 10 - Kaman K-225, first turbine-powered helicopter
• December 12 - de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter prototype CF-DYK-X

Entered service

February

• Avro Shackleton with No. 120 Squadron RAF (Coastal Command)

• English Electric Canberra with No. 101 Squadron RAF

• August 22 - Supermarine Attacker with No. 800 Squadron FAA, the Fleet Air Arm's first jet

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