Rebecca Maksel

Rebecca Maksel is a senior associate editor at Air & Space.

A Spitfire Mk II of 72 Squadron over the northeast coast of Britain, April 1941. “After the Battle of Britain,” writes historian Ian Carter, “RAF Fighter Command went on the offensive, carrying out sweeps over the fringes of enemy-occupied Europe. The aim was to tie down Luftwaffe fighter squadrons. But RAF fighters lacked the range to penetrate far inland, and losses were heavy. 560 aircraft were lost in 1941 alone.”

WWII, As It Really Looked

A new book showcases long-forgotten color images of Britain in the Second World War.

Harry Townsend sketched crews pushing aircraft into position after an alert.

Art From the WWI Trenches

Scenes from the Great War come to life a century after the Armistice.

Stacey Rudser leans on the engine nacelle of an Airbus A321 at Florida’s Orlando International Airport. The A321 is powered by a CFM56 engine—nice enough, but Rudser says she’s awed by the technology in the newer CFM LEAP engine.

Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic

Stacey Rudser, STS Aviation Services, Orlando International Airport, Florida.

A Spectre jettisons flares during training in 2007.

Vampires and Gnats: When Airplanes Do (or Don’t) Fit Their Names

Aircraft and the creatures that inspired them.

From Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Tyler Stargardt flies an Endeavor Air Bombardier CRJ‑900 to several of the 135 cities the airline serves in the United States and Canada.

First Officer, Endeavor Air

“Don’t be in a rush to fly a jet. Sometimes I think: To be in a little four-seat plane going low and slow would be awesome right now.”

“After they were notified of their duty,” recalls former pilot Ichiro Sudai, “kamikaze pilots would have small farewell parties. We exchanged sake and drank. On one side of a table were the kamikazes and on the other were people of a higher position, who were not seen often. It was a respectful, farewell sake. But toward the end of the war, we didn’t have sake available. We only had water.”

A Photographer’s Quest To Document the Lives of WWII Veterans

Sasha Maslov spent six years—and traveled to 23 countries—to record the stories of 100 veterans.

From the moment it opened in 1962, TWA’s Flight Center at New York’s JFK airport was instantly iconic.

The Airport Terminal So Beautiful It’s Reopening as a Hotel

Eero Saarinen's birdlike TWA terminal brought aesthetics to air travel.

At Bemidji Airport, Erik Hokuf stands with a recent project, the P-51D Sierra Sue II. The Mustang won owner Paul Ehlen an EAA 2015 Grand Reserve Champion award and Hokuf’s team, a Gold Wrench.

General Manager, AirCorps Aviation

Erik Hokuf gets to build, repair, and restore airplanes for a living.

While airline pilots must retire at age 65, there is no mandatory retirement age for general aviation pilots.

Flying Through the Golden Years

A new study looks at the relation between medication use and accidents involving older pilots.

TWA carried Pope John Paul II on his visits to the United States in 1979, 1987, and 1995 (shown here) on aircraft dubbed Shepherd I. Company lore notes that “TWA” can also stand for “traveling with angels.”

The Pope’s Laundry and Other Tales of Papal Travels

TWA was Pope John Paul II’s ride during his first visit to the United States in 1979.

Four the next two years, Apollo 11’s Command Module Columbia and one-of-a-kind artifacts from the Apollo era will travel the United States.

Apollo 11 Moonship To Go On Tour

For the next two years, the Command Module <i>Columbia</i> and other artifacts will travel the United States.

Greg Stinis, three-fourths finished with his skywriting over Chino, California on January 7.

Love Is in the Air

The art of skywriting is honored on a new stamp from the USPS.

The first class area of a TWA 747 was transformed into a television studio for the fourth anniversary of David Letterman’s show. The seats were removed, making room for Letterman’s desk and the show’s band.

In 1986, David Letterman Went On the Air, In the Air

For the 4th anniversary of “Late Night,” the TV host filmed the show on board a TWA 747.

Jackie Stephan and "Old Blue," a testing tool used to ensure precise integraiton, have traveled around the world as the Northrop Grumman team delivered products to customers.

Systems Engineer, Northrop Grumman

On very complex systems, engineers make sure all the components work well together.

APRIL 4, 1918: The Airco DH.9’s poor combat performance was due to its deficient engine. The airplane above was assigned to the Royal Air Force 218 Bombing Squadron at Dunkirk. A week earlier, it experienced engine failure.

Lost Photographs of the Great War

In a Moroccan flea market, a photojournalist happens on an inexplicable treasure.

Some 18,482 Consolidated B-24 Liberators were built, making it the most produced bomber of World War II.

Free-Falling Above a Burning B-24

Bailing out over Occupied France in 1944.

Alcoholic drinks weren't served on domestic U.S. flights until 1949.

In 1950, Airlines Didn’t Serve Liquor Over Dry States

Remembering when the drinks cart was subject to some very complicated laws.

George McGovern training at Hatbox Field, Muskogee, Oklahoma, October 1943.

George McGovern’s WWII Diary

Notes from the one-time presidential nominee’s 35 combat missions.

A Gulf Fritillary butterfly in flight.

Trillions of Migrating Insects Take to the Sky Every Year

And that’s just over one part of England.

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Best Children’s Books of 2016

The best aviation- and space-themed books for young readers in 2016.

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