Over Chicago,108 skydivers set a new record for the most people linked in a free-flying head-down dive.

Flight Today

Jumping Ship

No, it's not a disaster. It's a world record.

How Things Work: Flying Upside Down

The tricks that keep the engine from knowing it’s not right side up.
By Patricia Trenner

First Around the World

For balloonists Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones, the end of one journey marked the beginning of another.

$Broken microcapsules leave impressions seen through a microscope after a healing agent has bled out in a fracture plane of a composite material.$

How Things Work: Self-Healing Airplanes

Several technologies that could put mechanics out of work.
By Tom LeCompte

Can Pete Buck adapt technology to convert a Sonex model into a practical electric airplane?

The Man Who’s Flown Everything

Robert “Hoot” Gibson’s priorities: (1) Fly. (2) Fly some more.
By Robin White

Flights and Fancy: Brooders vs. Extroverts

By Darisse Smith

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

The Smithsonian’s Hollywood Moment

The makers of Night at the Museum took great pains to get it right.
By Rebecca Maksel

St. Onge, who shows off her Staggerwing at airshows in the Northeast, had her 1936 C17B done up in “Louise Thaden and Blanche Noyes colors” that replicate the paint scheme of the 1936 Bendix Race winner.

The Air and Space 2009 Airshow Guide

Use our interactive map to link to more than 150 events and share your airshow experiences.
By Air & Space staff

During a recent visit to the National Air and Space Museum, Gibson poses with models of some of his rides.

Photo Essay:The Blakesburg Fly-In

Antique airplanes—the cream of the crop—fluttered around corn country to celebrate an air mail birthday.

In December 2005, an Aerospatiale Alouette III landing at Escalante National Monument in Utah suffered ground resonance that tore the helicopter apart in four seconds. All aboard survived.

How Things Work: Ground Resonance

When is a helicopter like a Patsy Cline song? When it falls to pieces.
By Peter Garrison

Moments & Milestones: Nobody’s Fuel...Yet

By George C. Larson, member, NAA

How Things Work: Flying Fuel Cells

Out of gas? Not a problem.
By Michael Klesius

Reader Scrapbook

Snapshot

Air & Space Videos

	Space Station Fly-Around Take a narrated tour of the station with the same animation astronauts use in training.
	Lunar Run How a plasma-powered rocket would shoot for the moon.
	The First Lunar Landing One of history's great voyages, captured on 16mm film.
	WW I Pilot Training Rare footage of Army pilots learning to fly Jennies in 1917.
	Armstrong’s Close Call A fiery bailout while training to land on the moon.
	Mercury Astronauts Meet the Press, 1959 ...and answer the question: "What was your least favorite test?"
	Marines Test the Joint Strike Fighter A Marine takes the new F-35 for a spin.
	On the Prowl Climb into the cockpit for a flight in an EA-6B Prowler.
	Dodging Missiles F-105 pilots recall the dangers of flying over North Vietnam.
	F-105 Walkaround Get a close look at the National Air and Space Museum’s Thunderchief.
	PTQ: Put Together Quickly Watch Boeing technicians repair an airliner—in two minutes.
	Operation Tumbler-Snapper Atomic bombs versus airplanes in the Nevada desert.

In the Magazine

In his portrait of the storied racer Rare Bear and its crew, photographer Tyson Rininger captures the sense of anticipation that surrounds air races. “Something’s coming,” this quiet night scene seems to suggest. “Tomorrow, it’s win or lose.”

Air & Space Interview

A&S Interview:
Burt Rutan

A wide-ranging talk with the magician of Mojave

New Worlds

Confidence Booster

This little known Apollo artifact caused astronauts to rest a little easier.

View full archiveRecent Issues

About Us

Air & Space/Smithsonian magazine has been delighting aerospace enthusiasts with the best writing about their favorite subject since April 1986. As an adjunct of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, Air & Space matches the grand scope of the Museum, encompassing every era of aviation and space exploration. With stories that range from the Wright Brothers to the design of NASA's next lunar lander, Air & Space emphasizes the human stories as well as the technology of aviation and spaceflight.

No, it's not a disaster. It's a world record.

To the Federal Aviation Administration, civilian UAVs are the new barbarians at the gate. By Douglas Gantenbein

The tricks that keep the engine from knowing it’s not right side up. By Patricia Trenner

For an air racing legend named Rare Bear, yes. By Diane Tedeschi

The Air Force opens a virtual air base in Second Life. By Tony Reichhardt

Even around other X-planes, the X-48B looks weird. By Peter Garrison

Today’s airshow performers do it gyroscopically. By Debbie Gary

What was hot—and what was not—at the 2009 National Championship Air Races.

For balloonists Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones, the end of one journey marked the beginning of another.

Several technologies that could put mechanics out of work. By Tom LeCompte

Quiet, smooth, dependable—shouldn’t we be flying these by now? By Peter Garrison

Robert “Hoot” Gibson’s priorities: (1) Fly. (2) Fly some more. By Robin White

By Darisse Smith

The makers of Night at the Museum took great pains to get it right. By Rebecca Maksel

When a Staggerwing casts its spell, it can surprise even Olive Ann Beech. By James Wynbrandt

Blinding us with science: the next generation of stealth. By Damond Benningfield

Where there’s smoke, there’s pollution. How can airport firefighters green it up? By Sam Goldberg

An Osprey for commuters? Bring it on. Can we get a quiet car too? By Mark Wolverton

There’s just no way to add 100 mph to the speed of a helicopter. Or is there? By James R. Chiles

Our maxim: The airlines giveth, and the airlines taketh away. By The Editors

Fast, green, and quiet. Come on, brainiacs, you can do it. By Ed Regis

The son of famed airshow pilot Sean Tucker follows in his father’s smoke trails. By Jill Michaels

Chesley Sullenberger talks about That Day, his advice for young pilots, and hitting the ditch button (or not). By Linda Shiner

Some of our favorite poems about aviation. By airspacemag.com

A true tale of invention, obsession, and murder. By Paul Brown

With little fanfare (and less structure), the Breezy homebuilt spreads the message: Flying is fun. By Jason Paur

Portraits of female pilots

Richard Branson and Boeing heap hope-and hype-on biofuels. By Michael Milstein

Rest and renewal in a long-standing pilot community. By Del Wilber

By Peter M. Cleland

Where you can fly from Chicago to Atlanta without leaving your living room. By Ed Regis

Use our interactive map to link to more than 150 events and share your airshow experiences. By Air & Space staff

All the aircraft the legendary pilot has ever flown. By Robert L. Gibson

Our photo editor offers 12 tips to make your airshow album a work of art. By Caroline Sheen

What to listen to when you're pretending to be a pilot. By Diane Tedeschi

Antique airplanes—the cream of the crop—fluttered around corn country to celebrate an air mail birthday.

When is a helicopter like a Patsy Cline song? When it falls to pieces. By Peter Garrison

The masters of time are about to give us a little extra. Use it wisely. By James R. Chiles

By George C. Larson, member, NAA

Out of gas? Not a problem. By Michael Klesius

Reader Scrapbook

Snapshot

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Air & Space Videos

In the Magazine

Air & Space Interview

New Worlds

View full archiveRecent Issues

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To the Federal Aviation Administration, civilian UAVs are the new barbarians at the gate.
By Douglas Gantenbein

The tricks that keep the engine from knowing it’s not right side up.
By Patricia Trenner

For an air racing legend named Rare Bear, yes.
By Diane Tedeschi

The Air Force opens a virtual air base in Second Life.
By Tony Reichhardt

Even around other X-planes, the X-48B looks weird.
By Peter Garrison

Today’s airshow performers do it gyroscopically.
By Debbie Gary

Several technologies that could put mechanics out of work.
By Tom LeCompte

Quiet, smooth, dependable—shouldn’t we be flying these by now?
By Peter Garrison

Robert “Hoot” Gibson’s priorities: (1) Fly. (2) Fly some more.
By Robin White

The makers of Night at the Museum took great pains to get it right.
By Rebecca Maksel

When a Staggerwing casts its spell, it can surprise even Olive Ann Beech.
By James Wynbrandt

Blinding us with science: the next generation of stealth.
By Damond Benningfield

Where there’s smoke, there’s pollution. How can airport firefighters green it up?
By Sam Goldberg

An Osprey for commuters? Bring it on. Can we get a quiet car too?
By Mark Wolverton

There’s just no way to add 100 mph to the speed of a helicopter. Or is there?
By James R. Chiles

Our maxim: The airlines giveth, and the airlines taketh away.
By The Editors

Fast, green, and quiet. Come on, brainiacs, you can do it.
By Ed Regis

The son of famed airshow pilot Sean Tucker follows in his father’s smoke trails.
By Jill Michaels

Chesley Sullenberger talks about That Day, his advice for young pilots, and hitting the ditch button (or not).
By Linda Shiner

Some of our favorite poems about aviation.
By airspacemag.com

A true tale of invention, obsession, and murder.
By Paul Brown

With little fanfare (and less structure), the Breezy homebuilt spreads the message: Flying is fun.
By Jason Paur

Richard Branson and Boeing heap hope-and hype-on biofuels.
By Michael Milstein

Rest and renewal in a long-standing pilot community.
By Del Wilber

Where you can fly from Chicago to Atlanta without leaving your living room.
By Ed Regis

Use our interactive map to link to more than 150 events and share your airshow experiences.
By Air & Space staff

All the aircraft the legendary pilot has ever flown.
By Robert L. Gibson

Our photo editor offers 12 tips to make your airshow album a work of art.
By Caroline Sheen

What to listen to when you're pretending to be a pilot.
By Diane Tedeschi

When is a helicopter like a Patsy Cline song? When it falls to pieces.
By Peter Garrison

The masters of time are about to give us a little extra. Use it wisely.
By James R. Chiles

Out of gas? Not a problem.
By Michael Klesius