Army Pilot Becomes First to Bail Out of Plane Using Parachute

Oct. 20, 1922

Army Lt. Harold R. Harris becomes the first American pilot to save himself by use of a parachute, bailing out of a Loening PW-2A that had shed its wings in flight over McCook Field, Ohio.

Related

Pentagon Cancels $6B GPS Ground System Contract

April 20, 2026
The Pentagon has canceled its contract with RTX to field a ground segment to manage its most capable GPS satellites, a more than 15-year effort beleaguered by software development issues and cost overages.

Iran War Highlights the Value of Unmanned Aircraft 

April 20, 2026
MQ-9 Reapers used against Iran offer insights as the Air Force develops the next generation of unmanned planes: collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), retired Brig. Gen. Houston Cantwell and Douglas A. Birkey write.

Air Force Delays A-10 Retirement Until 2030

April 20, 2026
The Air Force is extending the life of the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack plane until at least 2030, pausing the service’s plan to retire the close air support aircraft amid active combat in the Middle East.

Space Command Laying Foundation for Maneuver Warfare

April 20, 2026
U.S. Space Command has tasked a team of internal analysts with laying the foundation for a future maneuver warfare strategy that uses advanced, on-orbit mobility to “shatter the enemy’s cohesion,” the command’s top officer said April 13.

‘Angry Kitten’ EW Pod Tested on Search-and-Rescue HC-130

April 17, 2026
The Air Force recently tested its “Angry Kitten” electronic warfare pod on an HC-130J during Exercise Bamboo Shield, showing the pod can turn the rescue platform into a command-and-control node and protect it from enemy radars.