1952 in aviation

January
January 5 - Pan Am commences trans-atlantic freight services.

January 22 - The de Havilland Comet 1 became the first turbojet-powered civil airliner to be awarded a certificate of airworthiness.

February
February 10 - Maj George A. Davis Jr is awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously, after attacking a group of 12 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15s that were about to bounce other US aircraft. He shot down two before being shot down himself.

May
May 1 - the IATA agrees on new "Tourist Class" fares, which are first offered by Pan American on its "Rainbow service" between New York City and London

May 2 - BOAC introduces the de Havilland DH.108 Comet 1 on its London--Johannesburg route, the first regular service flown by a jet airliner. G-ALYP makes the first flight.

May 12 - Sqn Ldr P. G. Fisher makes the first non-stop, un-refuelled flight from England to Australia in an English Electric Canberra bomber in a record 23 hours 5 minutes.

May 29 - aerial refueling is used on a combat mission for the first time, with twelve F-84 Thunderjets of the 159th Fighter Bomber Squadron being refueled by a KB-29 Superfortress on their back from an attack on Sariwon

June
June 13-16 - Soviet Air Force MiG-15s shoot down a Swedish Air Force C-47 Dakota on an intelligence gathering mission over the Baltic Sea, and the PBY Catalina that is sent to search for survivors.

June 23-24 - in the most intense use of airpower of the Korean War, US Navy and Marine Corps aircraft fly 1,200 sorties against North Korean power generation facilities.

July
July 1 - the Portuguese Air Force is formed by the amalgamation of the nation's various previous air arms.

July 8 - New York Airways begins inter-airport helicopter services to link Idlewild, La Guardia, and Newark airports.

July 15-31 - a pair of USAF Sikorsky H-19s make the first transatlantic crossing by helicopter

July 29 - a USAF RB-45 Tornado makes the first non-stop crossing of the Pacific by jet

August
August 9 - Lt Peter Carmichael of No. 802 Squadron FAA aboard HMS Ocean claims the Fleet Air Arm's first MiG-15 kill, from a piston-engined Hawker Sea Fury.

August 28 - a F6F Hellcat is loaded with explosives and flown as a remote-controlled drone against a railway bridge at Hungnam

September
September 6 - the de Havilland DH.110 prototype, WG236, disintegrates at the Farnborough Airshow, killing 28 spectators as well as its pilot

October
October 26 - a BOAC Comet is badly damaged in an accident during take-off from Rome-Ciampino airport

December
December 20 - A USAF C-124 Globemaster II, 50-100, c/n 43238, crashed on take-off from Larson AFB in Moses Lake, WA, USA, killing 87 servicemen, the highest confirmed death toll of any accident in aviation history at that time.

First flights

January
January 3 - Bristol Type 173 G-ALBN
January 21 - Saab 210

April
April 15 - Boeing YB-52 49-231
April 27 - Tupolev "88" prototype of Tupolev Tu-16

June
June 19 - Yak-120 prototype of Yakovlev Yak-25

July
July 3 - Yak-24 twin engine tandem helicopter
July 23 - Fouga Magister

August
August 6 - Boulton Paul P.120 VT951
August 16 - Bristol Britannia G-ALBO
August 22 - Saunders-Roe Princess G-ALUN
August 30 - Avro VulcanVX770

September
September 10 - BOMARC surface-to-air missile
September 20 - Douglas X-3 Stiletto
September 28 - Dassault Mystère IV
September 30 - GAM-63 RASCAL surface-to-air missile

October
October 16 - Sud Aviation Vautour
October 28 - Douglas XA3D-1

November
November 3 - Saab Lansen
November 21 - Percival Pembroke

December
December 4 - Grumman XS2F-1 Tracker
December 24 - Handley Page Victor WB771

Entered service

January
January 13 - Lockheed Neptune with Royal Air Force
January 22 - de Havilland DH.108 Comet with BOAC

March
March 13 - Airspeed Ambassador with BEA

June
June 17 - airship ZPN-1 with the US Navy

August
de Havilland Venom with the RAF