The act of dive bombing during World War II was a death defying trial of skill and nerve. You aimed your aircraft down, four miles above the ocean, and plummeted at speeds of up to 275 miles per hour.

The Terrifying Physics of World War II Dive Bombing (3:43)

During the battle of Midway, dive bomber Dusty Kleiss scored a direct hit on the Japanese carrier Hiryu by anticipating its next move: he aimed for where he thought it was going, rather than where it actually was.

U.S. Pilot Scores a Direct Hit on the Carrier Hiryu (2:56)

The sinking of the Titanic and the ensuing loss of life was horrific enough to prompt major action: in 1914, 16 nations formed an international patrol to scour the oceans for icebergs.

The Loss of the Titanic Led to "Iceberg Patrols" in the Atlantic (2:34)

Dusty Kleiss is a bonafide American hero: a veteran pilot of the Battle of Midway, and one of the most effective dive bombers in U.S. military history.

This Pilot Was the Unsung Hero of the Battle Of Midway (2:30)

Investigators suspect that a design flaw in old 737s—later fixed by Boeing— may have caused the September 14, 2008 crash. But was it addressed in Aeroflot-Nord Flight 821?

Was Flight 821 Brought Down by a 737 Design Flaw? (2:47)

720 million years ago, life on Earth was just about to take off. But a violent volcanic eruption in Northern Canada may have slowed down the process, thanks to clouds of ash that blotted out the sun.

Did a Volcano Eruption Slow the Development of Life? (3:00)

F/A-18 Hornets, crop dusters, Corsairs, a VariEze lookalike, raceplanes, a blimp! Planes has them all. Sure theyre cartoons and they talk, but we dare you to watch this clip without smiling.

Planes Trailer (2:33)

When we read on photographer Eric Curry's Web site that he views certain machines as metaphors for values of character, honor, integrity and pride, we thought his approach would be the perfect way to illustrate the affection many Earth-dwellers have come to feel for NASAs twin Mars Exploration Rovers, which, having long outlasted their life expectancies, are still transmitting from the Martian surface.In this slideshow, Curry explains how he built our March 2010 magazine cover, shot by carefully lit shot.

Painting With Light (4:04)

In 1998, during eight tests including this one with an SR20 out of Ocotillo Wells Airport in California, engineers and pilots from Cirrus Aircraft and Ballistic Recovery Systems took the plunge. They fine-tuned many items, including how the whole-airplane parachutes rocket extracts the system, and how the slider, the white ring that travels down the cords, keeps the parachute from opening too quickly, which would damage the chute and airplane.After each deployment, the SR20 released the parachute and returned to the airport rather than stranding itself in the desert. This meant that guides had to be added to the empennage to prevent damage to the vertical and horizontal tail surfaces. "Design of the test harness and parachute release mechanism were nearly as difficult as the design of the recovery systems itself," says Jay Yeakle, a Cirrus engineer. Less complex was the animal tracking system used by wildlife management groups that located the abandoned parachutes.

Whole-Airplane Parachute (0:24)

After initial throat-clearing, the big radial engine on Michael Kopp’s TBM-3E “Ida Red” growls, as the heavy torpedo bomber, one of only about 40 flying today, taxis out for takeoff last year at Paine Field in Everett, Washington. Kopp also gives a demo of what the Avenger does when it gets back on the aircraft carrier deck.

The Avenger's Transformer Moves (1:12)

Starting in 1934, the same year it was acquired by Boeing, the Stearman Aircraft Company of Wichita began building a sturdy biplane trainer. By the end of the war more than 10,000 of them had been built, and they introduced novice Army and Navy pilots, including a young George Herbert Walker Bush, to the wonder of flight. More than 1,000 still fly today, and no group has more fun with a Stearman than the Flying Circus in Bealeton, Virginia. This Memorial Day show highlights a few of the hijinks the Stearmans perform.

Everybody’s Favorite Trainer (1:44)

For the last four years leading to the 2020 end-of-the-war commemorations, warbird restorers and enthusiasts have staged events to mark the 75th anniversaries of momentous World War II battles and actions. The B-25 Mitchell will always be remembered as the aircraft flown by the Doolittle Raiders, and this excerpt shows how the American Airpower Museum paid tribute to that famous group of pilots.

To Honor the Doolittle Raiders (1:55)

The crew of Apollo 11 had made history by landing on the moon and coming back to Earth in one piece. But before the celebrations could begin, they would have to spend some time in quarantine

Why the Apollo 11 Crew Was Quarantined Upon Return (2:59)

To prepare him for landing the lunar module, Neil Armstrong practiced on a training vehicle right here on Earth. It was designed to replicate flying within a gravitational pull that was 1/6 that of Earth

How Neil Armstrong Trained to Land the Lunar Module (2:13)

After the success of Apollo 11, NASA unveiled an ambitious agenda for more missions into space. But interest among the public was beginning to drop—and the Nixon administration balked at the high costs

Why Interest in Space Travel Waned After Apollo 11 (2:48)

After initial throat-clearing, the big radial engine on Michael Kopp’s TBM-3E “Ida Red” growls, as the heavy torpedo bomber, one of only about 40 flying today, taxis out for takeoff last year at Paine Field in Everett, Washington. Kopp also gives a demo of what the Avenger does when it gets back on the aircraft carrier deck.

The Avenger's Transformer Moves (1:12)

Starting in 1934, the same year it was acquired by Boeing, the Stearman Aircraft Company of Wichita began building a sturdy biplane trainer. By the end of the war more than 10,000 of them had been built, and they introduced novice Army and Navy pilots, including a young George Herbert Walker Bush, to the wonder of flight. More than 1,000 still fly today, and no group has more fun with a Stearman than the Flying Circus in Bealeton, Virginia. This Memorial Day show highlights a few of the hijinks the Stearmans perform.

Everybody’s Favorite Trainer (1:44)

For the last four years leading to the 2020 end-of-the-war commemorations, warbird restorers and enthusiasts have staged events to mark the 75th anniversaries of momentous World War II battles and actions. The B-25 Mitchell will always be remembered as the aircraft flown by the Doolittle Raiders, and this excerpt shows how the American Airpower Museum paid tribute to that famous group of pilots.

To Honor the Doolittle Raiders (1:55)