1958 in aviation

Events

Gulfstream Aerospace founded in Savannah, Georgia, USA.
London Gatwick Airport opens after two years of extensive reconstruction. It is the first multimodal airport in the world, with direct rail connections from the main terminal to London and Brighton.

January
January 14 - Qantas becomes the first foreign airline permitted to fly across the United States

February
February 13 - the British Ministry of Defence White Paper makes Britain's nuclear weapons programme public knowledge.

March
March 17 - Air Inter commences operations

May
May 16 - Cpt W. W. Irwin sets a new airspeed record of 1,404 mph (2,259 km/h) in a F-104 Starfighter, the first record over 2,000 km/h

May 17 - four F3H Demons and four F8U Crusaders make a non-stop crossing of the Atlantic

May 23 - the Short S.C.1 VTOL aircraft makes its first hovering flight

September
September 30 - Britain's last flying boat is withdrawn from commercial service when Aquila Airways terminated its service on the Southampton--Funchal (Madeira) route.

First flights

March
March 5 - Yakovlev Yak-28
Aerfer Ariete

March 25 - The Avro CF-105 Arrow (RL201) made its maiden flight in Malton (Toronto, Ontario, Canada).

April
April 22 - Boeing Vertol 107-II

April 30 - Blackburn Buccaneer XK 486

May
May 12 - Dassault Mirage III

May 27 - McDonnell XF4H-1

June
June 9 - Agusta AZ8-L

July
July 30 - de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou CF-KTK-X

August
August 31 - North American A3J-1 Vigilante

September
September 16 - North American NA265-40 Sabreliner

November
Adams-Wilson Hobbycopter

December
December 4 - Baade B-152 V1 Prototype

Entered service

January
F-104 Starfighter with the 83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron USAF at Hamilton AFB

April
April 9 - Handley Page Victor with No. 10 Squadron RAF at RAF Cottesmore

April 21 - Vertol Model 44 with New York Airways

May
May 26 - Republic F-105B Thunderchief with the 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron USAF at Eglin AFB

August
Boeing 707 with Pan Am

November
de Havilland Sea Vixen to 700 Naval Air Squadron

December
Lockheed L-188 Electra with American Airlines