1961 in aviation

February
February 1 - Trans-Canada Air Lines becomes the first sustained operators of the Vickers Vanguard.

February 3 - Operation Looking Glass commences, meaning that the US Air Force Strategic Air Command would have a permanent, airborne command post.

March
March 28 - Air Afrique is formed

April
April 1 - VIASA - the flag carrier of Venezuela - commences operations

April 12 - Yuri Gagarin makes the first human spaceflight in Vostok 1, orbiting the Earth once, in108 minutes.

June
June 1 - United Air Lines absorbs Capital Airlines to become the largest airline in the West, with a fleet of 267 aircraft.

June 21-22 - a Royal Air Force Avro Vulcan makes the first non-stop flight from England to Australia

July
July 1 - the RAF deploys Hawker Hunter combat aircraft to reinforce Kuwait, which is under threat from Iraq. Simultaneously it deploys Canberras and Valiant aircraft to Malta.

July 24 - the first deliveries of the McDonnell D-101B to the Canadian Air Force commence.

September
September 12 - the Hawker P.1127 makes its first transitions from vertical to horizontal flight and back

November
November 25 - the US Navy's first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise is commissioned.

First flights

February
Cessna 336 Skymaster

March
Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy
March 18 - Tupolev Tu-28

April
April 5 - Dassault Mirage IIIE
April 16 - Beagle Airedale G-ARKE
April 21 - North American X-15

May
Boeing C-135 Stratolifter

June
June 17 - HAL Marut
June 21 - Aviation Traders Carvair G-ANYB

August
August 17 - Handley Page HP-115

October
October 12 - Dassault Mirage IV
October 21 - Breguet Atlantic

November
November 11 - Lockheed F-104G Super Starfighter

Entered service

February
February 1 - Vickers Vanguard

June
AJ3-1 Vigilante with US Navy VAH-3

October
McDonnell F4H-1 Phantom II with US Navy VF-74