Aviation and Heritage Roundup July 2026
Provided by Paul Squires, CAPA-ACCA Contact, Wetaskiwin, Alberta
New Books
The RAF’s Post-WW1 Operations, Fight For Survival Documented in New Book – Aerodynamic Media, LLC
F-14 Tomcat’s Engineering and History Revealed in New “Visual Feast” – Aerodynamic Media, LLC
Bird Men: The B-29 Superfortress and WW2 American Airpower – Aerodynamic Media, LLC
Historic Point, from a USAF book I read about the Korean War. During this time a B-29 was called a ‘medium bomber’ due to the political fight to establish nuclear priorities.
Operation Amherst: The Last Airborne Operation of WWII – Aerodynamic Media, LLC
Sidelight on Canadian operations in the Netherlands, April 1945.
Baptism of Fire | Europe@War | Helion & Company
Air Battles over the Baltic 1941 Volume 4 | Europe@War | Helion & Company
The Seven Fronts War, 2023-2025 | Middle East@War | Helion & Company
Mosquito Units in the Far Eas: : Combat Aircraft Jeremy Walsh Osprey Publishing – Osprey
The Space Review: Review: HOTOL and Skylon
British research into space capable aircraft. I thought that was all just a British Anderson TV series.
New Models
Eduard Releases New, Limited Edition PBY-5A Catalina – Aerodynamic Media, LLC
I wonder if it includes any Canadian built OA-10A options?
MiniArt Releases Renderings For Upcoming Fw 190D-11 Basic Kit – Aerodynamic Media, LLC No, not a repeat (see, -11, not -9), just this months Monthly Fw-190D model
Eduard Releases New P-51B Kit With Malcolm Hood Canopy – Aerodynamic Media, LLC
Arma Hobby Releases Sprue Shots, Renderings For New Tool Curtiss Hawk 81-A2 – Aerodynamic Media, LLC
First Look: Test Build of Arma Hobby’s New Tool Curtiss Hawk 81-A2 – Aerodynamic Media, LLC
DBMK to Release DH.103 Hornet F.1/PR.2 in 1/32 Scale – Aerodynamic Media, LLC
Roden Releases New Tool Short S.25 Sunderland Mark III/V Kit – Aerodynamic Media, LLC Includes markings for 423 Sqn. Aircraft
Airfix Releases New Tool Junkers Ju52/3mg4e Model Kit – Aerodynamic Media, LLC
IBG Releases Renderings, Livery Profiles For Upcoming Spitfire Model Kits – Aerodynamic Media, LLC
ICM to Release 1/48 Lockheed Hudson Mk.III Kit: “100% New Molds” – Aerodynamic Media, LLC
July 2026 News
Aug. 1 – No Fly zone declared of Trump Tower. Brings total of Trump No Fly zones to seven.
Permanent No-Fly Zone Established Over Trump Tower, Effective Even After Leaving Office
July 31 – Snowbirds Final Show on Vancouver Island
BC Aviation Museum open house with Snowbird pilots visit | CBC.ca
Snowbirds’ final Victoria show brings former commander back to where it all began
Snowbirds touch down at North Saanich museum ahead of Victoria flying show | Victoria News
Snowbirds make final South Island appearances before retirement
Snowbirds’ final Victoria show brings former commander back to where it all began
July 31 – At least this time they didn’t have to search for the crash site
US Marine Corps F-35B Stealth Fighter Crashes In San Diego, Pilot Ejects Safely
July 30 – New operating procedures result from survivable B.737 tanker crash in Australia
Australia sets air tanker SOPs after 737 crash findings – Wildfire Today
July 29 – European view of the CF-100, potted history
Avro CF-100 Canuck: Canada’s Clunk Interceptor
And the same source for the Arrow (of course)
Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow — History, Specs & Stories
Some other things of interest.
The Double Sunrise: History’s Longest Flight | Afterburner Not mentioned; route pioneered by 413 Squadron flights before handing over to QANTAS
Short Mayo Composite: Piggyback Plane vs Atlantic
TACA Flight 110: Dead-Stick Landing on a Levee Had never heard of this one. Like the Gimli Glider.
SAS Flight 751: The Miracle at Gottröra Another case of ‘new and improved’ airplane design features fighting the pilots
Handley Page Halifax: Britain’s Forgotten Bomber
The Bremen: The Forgotten East-West Atlantic Crossing
Secret Middle East GlobalEye Order for Saab | Afterburner
July 29 – Canada’s Bushplane Museum review
Why this is the #1 tourist attraction in Sault Ste. Marie – Sault Ste. Marie News
July 29 – Bristol Freighter restoration in England
Renovation of Bristol Freighter Type 170 moves at speed – Air Cargo News
July 28 – Windsor’s Canadian Aviation Museum represents Canadian women pilots at Oshkosh
Historic Flight Puts Windsor Women In Aviation Spotlight | Kingsville Times
July 28 – Evangelists preaching to passengers on planes unasked? Reminds me of some of the jokes in Airplane! coming to haunt us.
Christian preachers are turning airplanes into unwanted worship services
July 28 – And on a lighter side, Pan-Am Museum honours cartoonist advertisement creator for humour
Pan Am Museum Opens Retrospective On Illustrator Hank Syverson – Metropolitan Airport News
July 28 – And Al Blackman passes away, after 80 years with American
American Airlines’ Legendary Mechanic Passes Away At 100 After Record-Breaking 80-Year Career
July 28 – The Potomac Mi-Air Collision in detail
Reaping the Whirlwind | Inside the Potomac River Midair Collision | by Admiral Cloudberg | Jul, 2026 | Medium
July 28 – Medical Emergency diversion, from Russia to Ireland
Emirates A380 Diverts 2,000+ Miles To London After Medical Emergency Over Russia
July 28 – I didn’t think any of these ‘Roman Nosed’ Hercs were still around! And you can buy one. Only 72 years old.
Spotted: 1954 Lockheed C-130A Hercules For Sale – Aerodynamic Media, LLC
July 27 – Future of RCAF looks bright (difficult to read through pop-ups)
‘Bright’ future: RCAF chief says spike in defence spending is boosting flight times – Wings MagazineWings Magazine
July 27 – but final appearance of Snowbirds at Red Deer
Snowbirds fans in central Alberta take in one of team’s final flights | CBC.ca
July 27 – How did Iran take out that F-15? Still no facts.
How Did Iran Bring the F-15 Down? – Lawyers, Guns & Money
July 27 – From Space there are no borders
‘Our country is the mission’: more than 100 ex-Nasa astronauts launch new voting campaign | Nasa | The Guardian
July 26 – 10 years since the Solar Impulse 2 world flight
10 years since Solar Impulse 2 completed its trail-blazing circumnavigation | World Air Sports Federation
July 26 – And 50 years since SR-71 official records flight
Two crews, three world records, one historic day: 50th anniversary of the SR-71 Blackbird FAI Records | World Air Sports Federation
July 26 – Preserving Gander’s Historic Photos
There are thousands of pictures of planes, troops and visitors that show Gander’s aviation history. We meet the man who’s restoring the best of them for everyone to enjoy. | CBC.ca
July 25 – Quebec sends fire-fighting aircraft to BC
B.C. wildfires: Quebec sends 3 planes to assist
July 25 – Cold War artifacts in NW Ontario
Birch bark and bomb shelters: post-storm discoveries – Sudbury News
and
BACK ROADS BILL: The final chapter of a Cold War tragedy – North Bay News
A Cold War crash over Northern Ontario and the search for a missing pilot – Sudbury News
July 25 – White House orders signs for Smithsonian that state information on exhibits is ‘inaccurate’
President Trump orders signs warning of ‘inaccurate information’ at Smithsonian museum
Further background
July 27, 2026 – by Heather Cox Richardson
July 25 – Latest at the Yorkshire Air Museum
Yorkshire Air Museum Marks Halifax Restoration Anniversary with New Summer Exhibits and Family Activities – Vintage Aviation News
July 25 – Crisis of FAA control pressures building
NTSB: Controller Forgot He’d Cleared American 737 For Takeoff In June Boston Near-Miss
While the number of flights is rising
Global Commercial Aviation Hits Historic Single-Day Record With 153,359 Flights Tracked Worldwide – Aviation News
July 24 – Potted history of C-102 Jetliner. Lots of misconceptions and missing facts.
Grounded Dreams: Avro Canada C102 Jetliner – How North America’s First Jetliner Was Axed – Vintage Aviation News
July 24 – Canadian SE-5a Ace Henry Burden
Aces: Henry John Burden – How a Canadian Infantryman Became an S.E.5a Ace – Vintage Aviation News
And three I missed
June 17 – Harold Leslie Edwards
Aces of the Great War: Harold Leslie Edwards and the Canadian Blitz of the Skies – Vintage Aviation News
June 5 – Clifford McEwen
Aces of the Great War: Clifford McEwen – The Maverick of the Italian Front – Vintage Aviation News
June 1 – Frank Ormond Soden
Aces of the Great War: Frank Ormond Soden – The Fearless Canadian of No 41 Squadron – Vintage Aviation News
July 24 – Airbus / QANTAS A.350-1000 19 hour test flight direct Toulouse, France to Melbourne, Australia. Who would want to stay on an airline seat for 19 hours!
And some short flights:
Only 64 Miles: American Airlines’ 11 New Ultra-Short International Flights [Map]
Only 63 Miles: British Airways’ 11 Shortest Boeing 777 Routes Revealed [Map]
July 24 – DHC-3T Turbo-Otter loss in Alaska, all safe
All 11 Safe After Kenmore Air Seaplane Emergency Landing and Fire Near Sucia Island – Aviation News
11 rescued after fiery seaplane crash between Vancouver Island, Washington | Abbotsford News
July 24 – Historic DC-3 grounded in BC, misses airshow, but safety first
Historic plane grounded in Kelowna after test flight, won’t attend Abbotsford Airshow | Abbotsford News
July 24 – Trump had to switch airplanes in Turkey because the gifted plane just isn’t built for the job.
Trump switched planes in Turkey earlier this month because of threat from Iran proxy forces – report | Donald Trump | The Guardian
Weeks After Debut, Trump’s $400M Air Force One Pulled From Service For “Maxed Out” Upgrades
July 23 – Watch 5 CL-415s in a row tank up off beach in France (better than the Blue Angels beach pass!)
Massimo (@Rainmaker1973): “Astonished beachgoers at the Lac de Sainte Croix film five French Canadair CL-415 firefighting planes scooping up water in quick succession to fight the wildfires in southern France [? Cyril Talbot]” | nitter
July 23 – An ex-IAF Folland/HAL Gnat in a US Museum
How an FO-141 Gnat That Fought Two India and Pakistan Wars Ended Up in an American Museum – Vintage Aviation News
July 23 – False missile warning in NYC
Delta Air Lines Pilot Hit With False “Rocket Launcher” Threat During LaGuardia Approach
July 22 – Canadian helicopter pilot killed in fire-fighting honoured
Cross state procession honors helicopter crash pilot – Wildfire Today
July 22 – Wreck of Pan American DC-4 that was lost 74 years ago found
Pan Am’s Clipper Endeavor Found 74 Years After Plane Crash That Killed 52 People: EXCLUSIVE
Pan Am Clipper Endeavor Wreckage Found After 74 Years
July 22 – Phone dropped out of airplane found intact
A Sask. artist’s phone fell 1.1 km from a plane. They found it in a canola field in ‘pristine’ condition | CBC News
July 22 – A look behind the history that led to the WestJet flight attendants strike decision
Inside WestJet Flight Attendants’ Decision to Strike | The Tyee
July 22 – Airbus to test folding wings on medium-sized airliners
Airbus to test folding wings for next generation of bestselling planes | Airbus | The Guardian
July 22 – Celebrating 90 years of the DC-3/C-47
DC-3 Society Marks Aircraft’s 90th Anniversary at AirVenture, Announces Inaugural Operator Conference – Vintage Aviation News
July 21 – Surviving a window failure in an airliner
‘The explosion is what I remember’: man nearly sucked out of Ryanair plane recounts ordeal | Air transport | The Guardian
July 21 – two OPAS water bombers grounded for repairs
Ontario grounds 2 waterbombers for repairs as wildfires rage through north | Globalnews.ca
July 21 – US looks at British electric aircraft for military use
UK military ‘eyes innovative electric flying taxi’ as 2029 launch planned | Aerospace industry | The Guardian
July 20 – India enters private space launch industry with Vikram-1 flight
The Space Review: Vikram-1: A success for India’s entire space ecosystem
July 19 – Rolls-Royce planning new family of engines and improvements to Trent (delayed by Boeing MAX accidents)
After fixing its engine problems, Rolls-Royce is turning to its next big challenge | Rolls-Royce | The Guardian
July 19 – re-branding of Palm Beach airport not as smooth as planned.
Trump’s rebranding of Palm Beach airport hasn’t taken off as he planned | Donald Trump | The Guardian
July 18 – Things that go bang in your pocket (Thanks to David Ellis)
The fastest-growing risk to air travel is probably in your pocket
July 17 – First floods (July 6) then fire. Canadian Aviation Museum Windsor closed by smoke
Smoke closes Canadian Aviation Museum – CTVNews
July 17 – Latest on ‘Just Jane’
Avro Lancaster B.VII NX611 ‘Just Jane’ – Restoration Update 260 – Vintage Aviation News
July 17 – Footage of rescue of girl from Texas floods
Bodycam footage shows airlift of girl stranded by Texas floods
July 16 – Hushkit celebrates the Mosquito (with a side-view on the Miles M.1)
An introduction to Mosquito Month from Al Murray | Hush-Kit Aviation World
The Mosquito Origin Story | Hush-Kit Aviation World
July 16 – The unglamorous side of Flight Attendants work
The secret lives of flight attendants: ‘British passengers always drink like they’ve never drunk before’ | Airline industry | The Guardian
July 16 – And the versatility of the Caribou in US Army service
The A-12 pilot who looking for a crashed F-105 in Utah came across a brothel with a runway (A C-7A was the largest aircraft to ever land there)
July 16 – Netherlands Navy pilots sea and air drones to upgrade systems
Robots, AI and drones: how the Dutch navy is using tech to transform its sea defences | Netherlands | The Guardian
July 16 – The Italian British seaplane speed record thing never ends!
Project Seablade Seeks to Return the World’s Piston Seaplane Speed Record to Britain – Vintage Aviation News
July 15 – Canada becomes part of international jet fighter project
Canada joining international program to build next generation of fighter jets | CBC News
July 15 – South Korea selects Bombardier 6500 for EW aircraft
South Korea Expands Electronic Warfare Fleet with Additional Bombardier Global 6500 Platforms – Aviation News
July 15 – Recalling the Hunger Winter, and Operations MANNA / VICTUALS
WW II Hunger Winter survivor recalls the liberation of the Netherlands – Legion Magazine
July 15 – Last of the Mercury 13, and the oldest woman to fly in space, Wally Funk has died.
Wally Funk obituary | Space | The Guardian
Wally Funk: The Pilot Who Refused to Give Up on Space
July 15 – A little too close for comfort
Watch: Moment US Navy Blue Angels jet stuns packed beach with low flypast
Low Blue Angels flyover at Pensacola Beach sends items flying, shocks beachgoers – YouTube
July 14 – Final show of Snowbirds at Saskatoon
Canada Snowbirds: Saskatoon waves goodbye one last time
July 14 – And we all know volunteers like this, but so rarely read about them in the news
Aviation Museum Volunteer Uses Engineering Background to Restore Aircraft – Lower Bucks Source
July 13 – US Security badly affecting US Naval Museum in Pensacola
National Naval Aviation Museum subject of NAS Pensacola closures
July 13 – Testing Airbus A400M as a water bomber
France and Spain Launch Revolutionary Airbus A400M Firefighting Trials to Combat Severe Wildfires – Aviation News
July 13 – Bored pilot writes it in the sky
Airline pilot skywrites ‘I’m bored’ over England-Wales border | UK news | The Guardian
July 13 – National Holiday
RAF Phantom Pilot recalls Shadowing two Soviet Bears over France because French fighters were grounded for Bastille Day celebrations
July 13 – The Israeli-US-Iran war may be the first where both sides are operating in space
The Space Review: The Iranian use of space operations during Epic Fury
July 13 – The Mystery of NASA Mission Zero
The Space Review: The mystery of Mission Zero
July 12 – Aerial tours offered on electric powered airplane
You can now take a scenic flight aboard an electric plane at Waterloo region’s airport | CBC News
July 11 – Nuclear Electric Propulsion for space
The Museum of Flight to Host Presentation on Nuclear Electric Propulsion and Future Mars Missions – Vintage Aviation News
The Space Review: Atoms for space: Past US space nuclear power and propulsion programs
July 10 – Saskatchewan grounds Turbo Commander bird dogs after NWT crash.
SPSA grounds 3 wildfire-fighting aircraft identified as same models in fatal N.W.T. crash | CBC News
July 7 – NATO orders Global Eye system
NATO bets on Saab, giving Canada’s GlobalEye gamble a major boost | CBC News
July 7 – German company comes to Nova Scotia to build satellite launch base
German aerospace company signs 10-year deal to use N.S. space launch pad | CBC News
July 7 – Flight instructor jumps from plane, leaves student to land
Student pilot forced to land plane alone after instructor leaps to his death mid-flight in Argentina
July 6 – Canadian Aviation Museum Windsor re-opening delayed by flooding (see July 17 also)
Stormy weekend leaves Windsor with flooding, backlog of service calls | CBC News
July 6 – Art in Space, and renewing the National Air and Space Museum Space exhibit
‘Flight originated from the imagination’: how artists have captured space travel | Art | The Guardian
The Space Review: Rededicating a space museum
The Space Review: Superstar in the Smithsonian: the FARRAH satellite
July 6 – Camel replica goes on display in Pima
Sopwith Camel Goes on Display at Pima Air & Space Museum – Aerodynamic Media, LLC
July 6 – Airliner reported struck by July 4 firework
Plane hit by firework while landing at Chicago airport on Fourth of July – AOL
July 5 – What goes into a B.737-200 ‘Gravel Buster’, and why no new designs are being produced
Why The Boeing 737-200’s Gravel Kit Let It Land On Dirt & Will Never Be Built Into A Modern Jet
July 5 – Passenger left adrift by British Airways gets United Flight as sole passenger
United Passenger Gets Entire Boeing 737 To Himself After British Airways Abandoned Him
And another (July 15)
Woman is the only passenger on United flight, not prepared for what happens (Thanks to Davve Hills for this one)
July 5 – Floatplanes damaged landing are not what you expect in New York City
8 Rescued As Kodiak 100 Seaplane Makes Hard Landing In New York’s East River
July 5 – Fastest civil jet since Concorde is the Bombardier 8000
Mach 0.95: This Is The Fastest Civil Jet Since Concorde Retired In 2003
July 5 – Fight for control of Museums continues in US
White House report brands Smithsonian leadership as radical activists who can’t be trusted | PBS News
July 5 – Climate change and Clear Air Turbulence
Why your flight feels more like a rollercoaster these days | What On Earth | On Demand | CBC Listen
July 5 – Outdoor Aircraft display in Poland
Lubuskie Military Museum in Zielona Góra: Poland’s Hidden Aviation Gem! – Vintage Aviation News
July 4 – Climate Change and Aviation
Climate change is existential threat to aviation, says Heathrow executive
July 4 – ex-Air Canada L-1011 now the last one in seervice
The Last Lockheed L‑1011 TriStar Still Airworthy
July 4 – Historic New York airport now a wildlife park
The Airport That Once Dominated New York Is Now A National Park
July 3 – Fw-190 flys in Turkey
MSÖ Air & Space Museum’s Flugwerk-built Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-8/N Returns to the Skies After More Than a Decade – Vintage Aviation News
July 1 – Scale Flying Model Aircraft Competition
Starts 9 July with record competitor numbers: FAI F4 World Championships for Scale Model Aircraft | World Air Sports Federation