1965 in aviation

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1965:

Events

January

• January 2 – Denis Healey, the UK's Secretary of Defence cancels the nation's fighter and military transport programmes and orders the purchase of the US-built F-4 Phantom and C-130 Hercules in their place.

February

• February 15 – G Meher sets out from Culver City, California on a journey to become the first woman to cross the United States by helicopter
• February 19 – Lufthansa signs up as the first customer for the forthcoming Boeing 737

March

• March 2 – Operation Rolling Thunder begins, a massive air campaign against North Vietnam by the US
• March 6 – a Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King makes the first non-stop helicopter flight across North America. The distance travelled is 2,116 miles (3,405 kilometres) and a new distance record for helicopters

April

• April 1 – Tasman Empire Airways becomes Air New Zealand
• April 6 – United Air Lines places orders for new aircraft worth $US 750 million – the largest airliner purchase at the time.
• April 6 – the BAC TSR.2 is cancelled in favour of the General Dynamics F-111 for the Royal Air Force (which is not, in the end, bought either)

May

• May 1 – a Lockheed YF-12 sets a new international airspeed record of 2,070 mpg (3,331 km/h).
• May 26 – Sir Geoffery de Havilland dies aged 82.

June

• June 17 – US Navy fighters from VF-21 shoot down two North Vietnamese Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17s
• June 18 – the first B-52 Stratofortress missions are flown against North Vietnam

July

• July 10 – first US Air Force aerial victories of the Vietnam War scored by F-4 Phantoms

September

• the RAF carries out air strikes against Yemeni guerillas near Aden.
• The Indian Air Force and Pakistan Air Force engage in clashes over Kashmir
• September 11 – the US 1st Cavalry Division arrives in Vietnam with 400 helicopters
• September 13 – a new hot air balloon altitude record is set of 9,770 ft (2,978 m)

November

• November 15 – a Boeing 707 makes the first polar circumnavigation of the world.

December

• December 2 – USS Enterprise becomes the first nuclear-powered warship to see combat, launching air strikes at the Viet Cong near Bien Hoa
• December 21 – New York Airways commences helicopter services between the roof of the Pan Am building and John F. Kennedy International Airport

First flights

February

• February 25 – Douglas DC-9
• February 27 – Antonov An-22

April

• April 15 – Aérospatiale Puma prototype SA.330

May

• May 7 – Canadair Dynavert
• May 20 – De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter

June

• June 4 – Nanchang Q-5
• June 13 – Britten-Norman Islander

July

• July 19 – Breguet Atlantic

September

• September 7 – AH-1 Cobra
• September 27 – A-7 Corsair II

Entered service

April

• April 1 – NAMC YS-11 with Japan Domestic Airlines
• April 9 – BAC One-Eleven with British united Airways

November

• November 30 – Convair 600 with Central Airlines