July 15

2010 -- Virgin Galactic’s VSS Enterprise makes first manned flight.

The craft formerly known as SpaceShipTwo remained attached to VMS Eve, the jet-powered carrier aircraft from which the VSS Enterprise will eventually be launched, for the duration of the flight to allow for numerous combined vehicle systems tests to be conducted.

During the flight, which lasted six hours and 12 minutes on July 15th, the two crew members aboard the VSS Enterprise, Peter Siebold and Michael Alsbury, evaluated all of the spaceship’s systems and functions from end to end. All objectives of the flight were met, marking a significant milestone for Scaled Composites, the company responsible for constructing both the VSS Enterprise and VMS Eve for Virgin Galactic.

The flight was the 33rd for VMS Eve and the third for the VSS Enterprise in captive carry configuration. Virgin Galactic hopes to start commercial sub-orbital space flights from 2011.

2010 -- Germany plans air passenger tax.

Airlines will have to pay up to 26 euros per passenger under the German government’s plan to impose an air travel tax to raise 1 billion euros a year, according to a draft law seen by Reuters on Thursday.

2010 -- Amid a new U.S. furor over trading a terrorist for commercial considerations, BP confirmed today that it had lobbied the British government in late 2007 over a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya prior to the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, but did not influence the release of the Lockerbie bomber.

2010 -- MQ-8B Fire Scout successfully tested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

1975 -- The first international manned space flight occurs between the Soviet Soyuz 19 and an Apollo spacecraft.

1954 -- First flight of the first commercial jet transport airplane built in U.S.

The Boeing 707 prototype, model 367-80, made its maiden flight from Renton Field, south of Seattle, Washington. From its model number, it was nicknamed the Dash 80.

The flight marked the 38th anniversary of the Boeing Company.

The 707 is generally credited with ushering in the Jet Age

1933 -- 15-17: Lithuanians Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas were supposed to make a non-stop flight from New York City via Newfoundland to Kaunas on their plane named Lituanica, but crashed in the forests of Germany after 6,411 km of flying, only 650 km short of their final destination.

Flying time 37 hours, 11 minutes. They carried the first transatlantic airmail consignment.

1925 -- Dr. A. Hamilton Rice's expedition to the Amazon to explore the headwaters of the Amazon, the first exploration by airplane, returns safely.

1923 -- Dobrolet, the Soviet state airline, opens its first scheduled domestic service, between Moscow and Nizhniy Novgorod.

1918 -- German balloon-buster Leutnant Friedrich Fritz Friedrichs died.

His Fokker D.VII (309/18) burst into flames when the incendiary bullets he used for attacking balloons exploded. As he baled out of the burning Fokker, his parachute caught and tore on the tailplane. Friedrichs fell to his death, never knowing he'd won the Blue Max.

1916 -- Timber merchant William E. Boeing forms a new aircraft company, the Pacific Aero Products Company.