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March 10

In 1905… The French lawyer and aspiring aeronaut Ernest Archdeacon sends a letter to the Wright brothers in Dayton, Ohio challenging them to prove the validity of their claims. This marks the beginning of a bitter contest between the Wrights and European aeronauts.

In 1910… The first flight at night is made by Frenchman Emile Aubrun in Argentina on a Bleriot airplane. Aubrun makes two flights in the dark, each about 20 km from Buenos Aires and back again.

In 1925… One of the most outstanding flying boats of its day and a stunning demonstration of the skills of aircraft designer R. J. Michell, the Supermarine Southampton, makes its first flight with Henri Biard at the controls. It remains in service for 12 years, longer than any other flying boat before Sunderland.

1945 – The Army Air Force firebombs Tokyo, and the resulting firestorm kills more than 100,000 people..

In 1948… NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) test pilot Herbert Henry Hoover becomes the first civilian to exceed the speed of sound when he flies the No. 2 Bell XS-1 to a speed of 703 mph (Mach 1.065).

In 1956… The first aircraft to exceed 1,000 mph is an English Fairey Delta 2. Piloted by Lt. Cdr. Peter Twiss, it reaches a speed of 1,132 mph (1,822 km/h).

1977 – Astronomers discover rings around the outer planet Uranus.

2006 – The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter arrived at Mars.

And that’s what happened today March 10th in Aviation history , See you tomorrow!

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