1965 in aviation
This is a list of
aviation-related events from
1965:
January
*
January 2 -
Denis Healey, the UK's Secretary of Defense cancels the nation's fighter and military transport programmes and orders the purchase of the US-built
F-4 Phantom and
C-130 Hercules in their place.
February
*
February 15 - G Meher sets out from
Culver City, California on a journey to become the first woman to cross the United States by
helicopter*
February 19 -
Lufthansa signs up as the first customer for the forthcoming
Boeing 737March
*
March 2 -
Operation Rolling Thunder begins, a massive air campaign against North Vietnam by the US
*
March 6 - a Sikorsky
SH-3A Sea King makes the first non-stop helicopter flight across North America. The distance travelled is 2,116 miles (3,405 kilometres) and a new distance record for helicopters
April
*
April 1 -
Tasman Empire Airways becomes
Air New Zealand*
April 6 -
United Air Lines places orders for new aircraft worth $US 750 million - the largest airliner purchase at the time.
*
April 6 - the
BAC TSR.2 is cancelled in favour of the
General Dynamics F-111 for the
Royal Air Force (which is not, in the end, bought either)
*
April 23 - The first production
C-141A_Starlifter was delivered to the
USAF Military Airlift Command (MAC, successor to
MATS).
May
*
May 1 - a
Lockheed YF-12 sets a new international airspeed record of 2,070 mph (3,331 km/h).
*
May 26 - Sir
Geoffery de Havilland dies aged 82.
June
*
June 17 -
US Navy fighters from
VF-21 shoot down two North Vietnamese
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17s
*
June 18 - the first
B-52 Stratofortress missions are flown against North Vietnam
July
*
July 10 - first
US Air Force aerial victories of the
Vietnam War scored by
F-4 Phantoms
September
* the RAF carries out air strikes against Yemeni guerillas near Aden.
* The
Indian Air Force and
Pakistan Air Force engage in clashes over
Kashmir*
September 11 - the
US 1st Cavalry Division arrives in Vietnam with 400 helicopters
*
September 13 - a new
hot air balloon altitude record is set of 9,770 ft (2,978 m)
November
*
November 15 - a
Boeing 707 makes the first polar circumnavigation of the world.
December
*
December 2 -
USS Enterprise becomes the first nuclear-powered warship to see combat, launching air strikes at the
Viet Cong near
Bien Hoa*
December 21 -
New York Airways commences helicopter services between the roof of the
Pan Am building and
John F. Kennedy International AirportFebruary
*
February 25 -
Douglas DC-9*
February 27 -
Antonov An-22April
*
April 15 -
Aérospatiale Puma prototype SA.330
May
*
May 7 -
Canadair Dynavert*
May 20 -
De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin OtterJune
*
June 4 -
Nanchang Q-5*
June 13 -
Britten-Norman IslanderJuly
*
July 19 -
Breguet AtlanticAugust
*
August 31 -
Aero Spacelines Super GuppySeptember
*
September 7 -
AH-1 Cobra*
September 27 -
A-7 Corsair IIApril
*
April 1 -
NAMC YS-11 with
Japan Domestic Airlines*
April 9 -
BAC One-Eleven with
British United AirwaysNovember
*
November 30 -
Convair 600 with
Central Airlines
