1965 in aviation

January
January 2 - Denis Healey, the UK Secretary of Defense, cancels the nation's fighter and military transport programmes and orders the purchase of the US-built F-4 Phantom and C-130 Hercules as replacement aircraft.

February
February 15 - G Meher sets out from Culver City, California on a journey to become the first woman to cross the United States by helicopter

February 19 - Lufthansa signs up as the first customer for the forthcoming Boeing 737

March
March 2 - Operation Rolling Thunder begins, a massive air campaign against North Vietnam by the US

March 6 - a Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King makes the first non-stop helicopter flight across North America. The distance travelled is 2,116 miles (3,405 kilometres) and a new distance record for helicopters

April
April 1 - Tasman Empire Airways becomes Air New Zealand

April 6 - United Air Lines places orders for new aircraft worth $US 750 million - the largest airliner purchase at the time.

April 6 - the BAC TSR.2 is cancelled in favour of the General Dynamics F-111 for the Royal Air Force (which is not, in the end, bought either)

April 23 - The first production C-141A Starlifter was delivered to the USAF Military Airlift Command (MAC, successor to MATS).

May
May 1 - a Lockheed YF-12 sets a new international airspeed record of 2,070 mph (3,331 km/h).

May 12 - Crash of prototype HFB-320 Hansa Jet due to tail design problem; killed was manufacturer Hamburger Flugzeugbau's chief test pilot.

May 26 - Sir Geoffery de Havilland dies aged 82.

June
June 17 - US Navy fighters from VF-21 shoot down two North Vietnamese Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17s

June 18 - the first B-52 Stratofortress missions are flown against North Vietnam

July
July 10 - first US Air Force aerial victories of the Vietnam War scored by F-4 Phantoms

September
the RAF carries out air strikes against Yemeni guerillas near Aden.
The Indian Air Force and Pakistan Air Force engage in clashes over Kashmir

September 11 - the US 1st Cavalry Division arrives in Vietnam with 400 helicopters

September 13 - a new hot air balloon altitude record is set of 9,770 ft (2,978 m)

November
November 15 - a Boeing 707 makes the first polar circum-navigation of the world.

December
December 2 - USS Enterprise becomes the first nuclear-powered warship to see combat, launching air strikes at the Viet Cong near Bien Hoa

December 21 - New York Airways commences scheduled helicopter services between Central Manhattan and J.F.K. Int'l Airport New York City, using the roof of the Pan Am building in Manhattan

First flights

February
February 25 - Douglas DC-9
February 27 - Antonov An-22

April
April 2 - Partenavia Oscar
April 15 - Aérospatiale Puma prototype SA.330
April 22 - Transavia PL-12 Airtruk

May
May 7 - Canadair Dynavert
May 20 - De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter

June
June 2 - Aerotec Uirapuru
June 4 - Nanchang Q-5
June 13 - Britten-Norman Islander

July
July 16 - OV-10 Bronco
July 19 - Breguet Atlantic

August
August 18 - Kamov Ka-26
August 31 - Aero Spacelines Super Guppy

September
September 7 - AH-1 Cobra
September 27 - A-7 Corsair II

Entered service

April
April 1 - NAMC YS-11 with Japan Domestic Airlines
April 9 - BAC One-Eleven with British United Airways