1961 in aviation

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

Events

February

• 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 combat aircraft to reinforce Kuwait, which is under threat from Iraq.

September

• 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

June

• June 17 – HAL Marut

August

• August 17 – Handley Page HP-115

October

• October 12 – Dassault Mirage IV
• October 21 – Breguet Atlantic

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