1961 in aviation

yearbox
in?=in aviation
cp=19th Century
c=20th century
cf=21st century
yp1=1958
yp2=1959
yp3=1960
year=1961
ya1=1962
ya2=1963
ya3=1964
dp3=1930s
dp2=1940s
dp1=1950s
d=1960s
dn1=1970s
dn2=1980s
dn3=1990s

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1961:

Events

February

* February 1 - Trans-Canada Air Lines become the first sustained operators of the Vickers Vanguard.
* February 3 - Operation Looking Glass commences, meaning that the US Air Force Strategic Air Command would have a permanent, airborne command post.

March

* March 28 - Air Afrique is formed

April

* April 1 - Venezuelan airline VIASA commences operations
* April 12 - Yuri Gagarin makes the first human spaceflight in Vostok 1, orbiting the Earth once, in108 minutes.

June

* June 1 - United Air Lines absorbs Capital Airlines to become the largest airline in the West, with a fleet of 267 aircraft.
* June 21-22 - a Royal Air Force Avro Vulcan makes the first non-stop flight from England to Australia

July

* July 1 - the RAF deploys Hawker Hunter combat aircraft to reinforce Kuwait, which is under threat from Iraq. Simultaneously it deploys Canberras and Valiant aircraft to Malta.
* July 24 - the first deliveries of the McDonnell D-101B to the Canadian Air Force commence.

eptember

* September 12 - the Hawker P.1127 makes its first transitions from vertical to horizontal flight and back

November

* November 25 - the US Navy's first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, USS "Enterprise" is commissioned.

First flights

February
* Cessna 336 Skymaster

March
* Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy
* March 18 - Tupolev Tu-28

April
* April 5 - Dassault Mirage IIIE
* April 16 - Beagle Airedale "G-ARKE"
* April 21 - North American X-15

May
* Boeing C-135 Stratolifter

June
* June 17 - HAL Marut
* June 21 - Aviation Traders Carvair "G-ANYB"

August
* August 17 - Handley Page HP-115

October
* October 12 - Dassault Mirage IV
* October 21 - Breguet Atlantic

November
* November 11 - Lockheed F-104G Super Starfighter

Entered service

February
* February 1 - Vickers Vanguard

June
* AJ3-1 Vigilante with US Navy VAH-3

October
* McDonnell F4H-1 Phantom II with US Navy VF-74