World Aviation in 1967

2 January
It is announced in the United States that Boeing has been awarded a contract for the design of a Super Sonic Transport (SST). General Electric will develop the engine.

4 January
The West German Air Force returns the Lockheed F104G Starfighter to service.

4 January
Hindustan Aeronautics announces that it has begun assembly of MiG21s from Soviet kits. The aircraft will be delivered to the Indian Air Force.

27 January
Roger Chaffee, Virgil Grissom and Edward White all burn to death during a ground accident in the Apollo 1 capsule.

8 March
The West German Air Force announce that all the ejection seats in their Lockheed F104G Starfighter fleet will be replaced with Martin-Baker GQ7 seats.

23 April
The Soviet Union launches Soyuz 1, but Colonel Vladimir Komarov is killed when the spacecraft crashes on its return to earth. This is the first known man to have died in the course of a space flight.

5 June
The Boeing company delivers its 1,000th jet airliner, a Model 707-120B, to American Airlines.

5 June
The outbreak of the Arab-Israeli ‘six day war’: pre-emptive strikes by Israeli Air Force virtually destroy all Egyptian, Jordanian and Syrian air response to the attack.

17 June
The Chinese People’s Republic detonates its first thermonuclear device.

3 October
Major William Knight of the United States Air Force (USAF) flies the North American X15A-2 to its highest speed 7,297kph (4,534mph).

20 October
The first emergency use of the crew module of a United States Air Force (USAF) General Dynamics F111A takes place over Texas. The two man crew remain within the module until it reaches the ground and are unhurt.

18 November
The first flight of the Dassault Mirage G prototype at Istres in France. This is the first modern aircraft of European design which has variable-geometry wings.