Today in Air Force History

March 19, 1910 Orville Wright opened the first Wright Flying School at Montgomery, Ala. This site became Maxwell AFB, Ala.

March 19, 1969 Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird, announced the FB-111 program would be reduced, due to its lack of intercontinental range. He limited the U.S. Air Force to four squadrons with 60 aircraft and a few replacements. Mr. Laird revealed that a new bomber, the Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft would be developed. This aircraft later became the B-1.

March 19, 1970 Maj. Jerauld R. Gentry, an Air Force Flight Test Center test pilot, made the first powered flight of the Martin Marietta X-24A Wingless Lifting Body over Edwards AFB, Calif. A B-52 dropped the X-24A.

March 19, 1971 U.S. Air Force Southern Command began moving residents from Nicaraguan farming areas ravaged by the Cerro Negro volcano. During the 10-day mission, C-123s airlifted 885 Nicaraguans and 190,000 pounds of household goods, food and other supplies to a new area.

March 19, 1978 For the first time, U.S. Air Forces in Europe F-15 Eagles and Navy F-14 Tomcat aircraft began joint dissimilar air combat tactics training.

March 19, 1984 Military Airlift Command flew 28 C-5 Galaxy and 17 C-141 missions to carry 1,286 passengers and 1,594 tons of cargo for the deployment of three E-3A airborne warning and control system to provide aerial surveillance for Egypt and the Sudan against threats from Libya. Five KC-135 and two KC-10 missions provided aerial refueling through April 9 in Operation Eagle Lift.

March 19, 1992 Two F-15s intercepted two Russian TU-95 Bear bombers near the Alaskan coast, the first such interception since the breakup of the Soviet Union.

March 19, 1997 The 509th Bomb Wing conducted the longest B-2 Spirit mission to date when "The Spirit of Florida," flew from Whiteman AFB, Mo., to Puerto Rico. Maj. Robert O'Neal and Capt. Scott Hughes flew the nearly 30-hour, round-trip flight with its four aerial refuelings and a live conventional weapon release at the Vieques Range, Puerto, Rico.

March 19, 2004 U.S. forces fired 40 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Iraq, striking three targets around Baghdad, just after 9:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The attack began the U.S.-led multinational coalition effort to liberate the people of Iraq.

March 19, 2004 The first active-duty C-130J Hercules arrived at the 314th Airlift Wing at Little Rock AFB, Ark. --Air Force