On September 17, 1976, NASA publicly unveiled its first space
shuttle, the Enterprise, during a ceremony in Palmdale, California.

Development of the aircraft-like spacecraft cost almost $10 billion
and took nearly a decade. In 1977, the Enterprise became the first
space shuttle to fly freely when it was lifted to a height of 25,000
feet by a Boeing 747 airplane and then released, gliding back to
Edwards Air Force Base on its own accord.

From left to right they are: NASA Administrator Dr.
James D. Fletcher; DeForest Kelley, who portrayed
Dr. "Bones" McCoy on the series; George Takei
(Mr. Sulu); James Doohan (Chief Engineer
Montgomery "Scotty" Scott); Nichelle Nichols
(Lt. Uhura); Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock); series
creator Gene Roddenberry; an unnamed NASA
official; and, Walter Koenig (Ensign Pavel Chekov).

The Thunderbirds, a demonstration squadron of the United
States Air Force, are assigned to the 57th Wing, and are
based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Created 71 years
ago in 1953, the USAF Thunderbirds are the third-oldest
formal flying aerobatic team (under the same name) in the
world.

The Thunderbirds perform the Diamond Pass-In-Review.

Performing a calypso pass.

The Delta Burst.

MCMINNVILLE, Ore. (KATU) — The Oregon International Air Show
is back in McMinnville for the Labor Day weekend.

It marks the return of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.

The high-flying action runs Saturday through Monday at the
McMinnville Airport.

Gates open at 9 a.m. and the show starts around noon.

The U.S. Congress passed legislation establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a civilian
agency responsible for coordinating America’s activities in
space, on July 29, 1958.

NASA has since sponsored space expeditions, both human
and mechanical, that have yielded vital information about the
solar system and universe.        
         

It has also launched numerous earth-orbiting satellites that have
been instrumental in everything from weather forecasting to
navigation to global communications.

NASA was created in response to the Soviet Union’s October 4,
1957 launch of its first satellite, Sputnik I.

President Eisenhower with Hugh Dryden and T. Keith
Glennan, August 19, 1958. Eisenhower (center) swears
in Dr. T. Keith Glennan (right) as the first administrator
of NASA, and Dr. Hugh Dryden (left) as deputy
administrator.

On Saturday, July 28, 1945, a B-25 Mitchell bomber of the United
States Army Air Forces crashed into the north side of the Empire
State Building in New York City while flying in thick fog.

The building’s structural integrity was not compromised.

On July 27, 1949, the world’s first jet-propelled airliner, the British
De Havilland Comet, made its maiden test-flight in England. The
jet engine would ultimately revolutionize the airline industry,
shrinking air travel time in half by enabling planes to climb faster
and fly higher.

The Comet was the creation of English aircraft designer and
aviation pioneer Sir Geoffrey de Havilland (1882-1965).

De Havilland started out designing motorcycles and buses, but
after seeing Wilbur Wright demonstrate an airplane in 1908, he
decided to build one of his own.