1951 in aviation

February
February 21 - an English Electric Canberra becomes the first jet to make an unrefuelled crossing of the Atlantic, taking 4 hours 37 minutes

March
March 6 - the Martin aircraft company gains production rights to the English Electric Canberra as the B-57

March 15 - a Qantas flying boat makes a survey flight from Sydney (Australia) to Valparaíso (Chile) via Easter Island (Eastern Pacific region), a first flight of this type across the South Pacific.

April
April 12 - 48 USAF B-29 Superfortresses attack the Sinuiju Railway Bridge on the Yalu River.

May
May 1 - US Navy A-1 Skyraiders and F4U Corsairs from USS Princeton attack the Hwachon Dam, flooding the Pukhan River

May 20 - Cpt James Jabara becomes the first fighter ace to score his five victories in a jet (a F-86 Sabre) over jets (Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15s)

May 29 - Cpt C. Blair makes the first solo flight over the North Pole, in a P-51 Mustang

June
June 1 - BEA commences helicopter services between London and Birmingham

July
No. 25 Squadron Royal Air Force became the world's first jet night-fighter squadron when it took delivery of the de Havilland Vampire NF10.

July 6 - aerial refueling is used under combat conditions for the first time, with a KB-29 Superfortress refueling four RF-80 Shooting Stars over North Korea

August
The Canadian Blue Devils aerobatic team is disbanded.

August 1 - Japan Air Lines is formed.

August 7 - Bill Bridgeman sets a new airspeed record in the Douglas Skyrocket of Mach 1.88 (1,245 mph, 1,992 km/h).

August 15 - Bill Bridgeman sets a new altitude record in the Douglas Skyrocket of 74,494 ft (22,706 m).

August 15 - BEA--British European Airways commences the world's first turboprop freight services using a modified Douglas DC-3 fitted with two Rolls-Royce Dart engines.

September
16 September - A damaged US Navy F2H-2 Banshee attempting to land on USS Essex (CV-9) crashes into a group of aircraft parked on the carrier's deck, killing seven sailors.

September 21 - the US Marine Corps makes the world's first mass combat deployment by helicopter. 228 Marines are landed in 12 Sikorsky HRS

October
October 3 - HS-1 is commissioned, the US Navy's first ASW helicopter squadron

October 23 - Ten Boeing B-29 Superfortresss carried out an attack mission on airfield in North Korea. Three were shot down and four made emergency landings in South Korea, and three badly damaged aircraft returned to Okinawa. It was the last daylight mission flown by the B-29.

October 25 - JAL--Japan Air Lines launches commercial operations within Japan, using three Northwest Airlines Martin Aircraft 2-0-2 aircraft flown by Northwest crews. [1]

December
December 1 - F/O Bruce Gogerly of 77 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), flying a Gloster Meteor, shoots down a Soviet-piloted MiG-15, the first of four air-to-air kills for RAAF pilots during the Korean War.[2]

December 12 - Alaska Air becomes the first airline to fly over the North Pole

December 13 - Maj George Davis of the 334th Fighter Interceptor Squadron shoots down four MiG-15s in a single day

First flights

February
February 23 - Dassault Mystère

March
March 12 - Fairey Delta FD.1
March 15 - Sud-Ouest SO.30R

April
April 26 - Lockheed X-7

May
May 18 - Vickers Valiant prototype WB210

June
June 20 - Bell X-5, first aircraft with swing wings
June 21 - Handley Page HP.88

July
July 16 - Iberavia I-11 EC-AFE
July 20 - Hawker Hunter prototype WB188

August
August 5 - HAL HT-2, India's first indigenously designed basic trainer.
August 5 - Supermarine Swift WJ960
August 7 - McDonnell F3H Demon 125444
August 31 - Supermarine Type 508 VX133

September
September 7 - Auster B.4 G-AMKL
September 26 - de Havilland Sea Vixen WG326

November
November 26 - Gloster Javelin prototype WD804

December
December 10 - Fiat G.80, Italy's first true jet
December 10 - Kaman K-225, first turbine-powered helicopter
December 12 - de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter prototype CF-DYK-X

Entered service

February
Avro Shackleton with No. 120 Squadron RAF (Coastal Command)

May
May 24 - English Electric Canberra with No. 101 Squadron RAF

July
de Havilland Vampire NF10 with No. 25 Squadron RAF.

August
Gloster Meteor NF11 with No. 29 Squadron RAF
August 22 - Supermarine Attacker with 800 Naval Air Squadron, the Fleet Air Arm's first jet

December
December 17 - Lockheed Super Constellation with Eastern Air Lines.