World Aviation in 1964

29 February
President Johnson reveals the existence of the Lockheed A11 high altitude high-speed reconnaissance aircraft.

17 April
Jerrie Mock finishes her 29 day flight in her Cessna 180 Spirit of Columbus. Landing at Columbus, Ohio she becomes the first woman pilot to fly solo round the world.

11 May
Jacqueline Cochran sets a new world speed record for women over a 15/25 kilometre course of 2,300kph (1,499mph). Her aircraft is a Lockheed F104G Starfighter.

12 May
American Joan Merriam becomes the second woman to fly solo round the world. She takes 56 days to complete the journey in a route originally planned by Amelia Earhart. She makes the flight in a Piper Apache.

1 June
The Kenya Air Force is officially established, with British assistance.

31 July
A.H. Parker, flying an Arlington Sisu 1A, sets the first flight distance record over 1,000 kilometre in a glider (sailplane) of 1,040 kilometres (646 miles).

2 & 4 August
United States destroyers are attacked by North Vietnamese patrol boats. The attacks are largely countered by air action.

5 August
President Johnson orders United States carrier aircraft to attack North Vietnamese naval bases as retaliation for the two earlier attacks on United States destroyers.

7-9 August
Turkish aircraft attack Greek Cypriot positions on Cyprus, but the United Nations intervenes and the attacks stop.

12 October
The Soviets launch Voskhod 1 into earth orbit. This is the first launch to carry a multiple crew – Vladimir Komarov, Konstantin Feoktistov and Boris Yegorov, who operate without spacesuits during the mission.

16 October
The People’s Republic of China detonates its first atomic weapon.

21 December
The first flight of the General Dynamics F111A.

22 December
President Johnson approves development of the Lockheed CX-HLS military transport, which later becomes the C5A Galaxy.