1978 in aviation
| Years in aviation |
|---|
| 1973 |
| 1974 |
| 1975 |
| 1976 |
| 1977 |
| 1978 |
| 1979 |
| 1980 |
| 1981 |
| 1982 |
| 1983 |
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1978:
Events
January
- January 1 - British Aircraft Corporation, Hawker Siddeley, and Scottish Aviation are absorbed into British Aerospace
April
- April 18 - the Vickers Viscount becomes the first turboprop airliner to see 25 years in service
- April 20 - a Korean Airlines Boeing 707 makes a crash landing after being attacked by Soviet fighters over the Kola Peninsula. Two passengers are killed.
May
- May 20 - McDonnell Douglas delivers its 5,000th F-4 Phantom aircraft, twenty years after the first flight of the prototype.
July
- July 1-19 - Frank Haile Jr and William Wisner fly two Beechcraft Bonanzas around the world in formation.
- July 11 - the UK government agrees to fund development of the BAe 146
- July 14 - after receiving orders from United Airlines, Boeing begins full-scale development of the Boeing 767
August
- August 12-17 - Ben Abruzzo and crew make the first transatlantic crossing by balloon, taking 5 days 17 hours to travel from Presque Island, Maine USA to Evreux, France in the Double Eagle II
September
- September 3 - an Air Rhodesia Vickers Viscount is shot down by members of Joshua Nkomo's Patriotic Front using a SA-7 surface-to-air missile. The ten passengers who survived the crash are shot dead.
October
- October 30 - the Indian government approves the purchase of the SEPECAT Jaguar for the Indian Air Force
November
- November 20 - the US Air Force orders development of the KC-10 Extender
December
- December 29 - Freddie To makes the first flight of a solar-powered aircraft, the Solar One
First flights
January
- January 11 - American Jet Industries Hustler
March
- Dassault Mirage 2000 2000-01
April
- April 10 - Sikorsky S-72
July
- July 6 - NASA QSRA
August
- August 12 - Pilatus PC-7 HB-HAO
September
- September 13 - Aérospatiale Super Puma F-WZJA
November
- November 8 - Canadair CL-600 Challenger C-GCGR-X
- November 18 - F/A-18 Hornet 160775
December
- December 30 - General Avia Canguro
Entered service
January
- January 26 - Westland Lynx with No. 702 Squadron FAA
April
- HU-25 Guardian with US Coast Guard
June
- June 28 - Dassault Super Etendard with the Aéronavale
August
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