1956 in aviation

March
March 10 - Lt Cdr Peter Twiss sets a new airspeed record in the Fairey Delta 2, also becoming the first person to exceed 1,000 mph. His top speed is 1,132 mph (1,821 km/h).

May
May 21 - a B-52 Stratofortress drops the US hydrogen bomb, a 3.75 MT device on (Bikini Atoll) Central Pacific, a first such air drop.

June
June 20 - the US Navy commissions its first helicopter carrier, USS Thetis Bay

September
September 7 - the Bell X-2 research aircraft is flown by Captain Iven C. Kincheloe to a new altitude record of 126,200 ft (38,466 m).

September 24 - the Luftwaffe is re-formed in the FRG (West Germany)

September 27 - Milburn Apt sets a new air speed record in the Bell X-2, becoming the first person to exceed Mach 3, reaching a speed of 2,094 mph (3,350 km/h) before he lost control of the X-2 and died in the resulting crash

October
October 1 - Chapter Two of the Experimental Aircraft Association is chartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana

October 11 - a Vickers Valiant of No. 49 Squadron RAF drops Britain's first air-dropped atomic bomb, over Maralinga, South Australia

October 31 - a US Navy R4D Skytrain is the first aircraft to land at the South Pole

November
November 28 - the Ryan X-13 Vertijet makes its first transition from vertical to horizontal flight

First flights

April
April 17 - SFECMAS Gerfaut II
April 21 - F5D Skylancer.

May
Aerfer Sagittario 2
May 26 - Sukhoi Su-9

July
July 20 - Aerotécnica AC-12
July 23 - Dassault Étendard II

August
August 1 - Aeritalia G.91
August 6 - Beechcraft Travel Air
August 31 - KC-135 Stratotanker

September
September 10 - North American F-107

October
October 22 - XH-40 (Bell UH-1 prototype)

November
November 11 - Convair XB-58
November 17 - Dassault Mirage III

December
December 17 - Short SC.1
December 17 - E-1 Tracer
December 26 - F-106 Delta Dart

Entered service

February
February 24 - Gloster Javelin with No. 46 Squadron RAF

March
March 31 - A3D Skywarrior with VAH-1

April
April 16 - F4D Skyray with VC-13

August
August 31 - Avro Vulcan with No. 83 Squadron RAF

September
September 24 - Tupolev Tu-104 with Aeroflot

December
December 9 - The 463rd Troop Carrier Wing receives the Air Force's first C-130 Hercules.