2002 in aviation

Events

A depression in North American commercial aviation begins in the aftermath of economic recession and the September 11 attacks.

January
January 5 Cessna 172 with the pilot high-school student Charles J. Bishop crashed it into the side of the Bank of America Tower in downtown Tampa, Florida. The impact killed the teenager and damaged an office room.

March
March 4 - Ansett (Mark II) permanently ceases operations.

March 8 - A Portuguese Air Force 201 Squadron F-16 crashes in Monte Real while landing, killing the pilot.

March 31 - Swiss International Air Lines begins operations, taking over many routes from bankrupt Swissair.

April
April 9 - A Portuguese Air Force 552 Squadron Alouette III crashes, killing the three crewman.

April 15 - Air China Flight 129 a Boeing 767, crashes at a mountainside near Busan. 128 of 166 on board are killed.

April 18 The crash happened when a Rockwell Commander A112 crashed on 17:48 (local time)into the upper floors of the Pirelli Tower. The crash killed the pilot Fasulos and four others in the building. Sixty more people sustained injuries in the building and on the ground.

July
July 7-14 - the 15th FAI World Precision Flying Championship in Zagreb, Croatia. Individual winners: 1. Lubos Hajek (Czech Republic, Cessna 152), 2. Janusz Darocha (Poland, Cessna 152), 3. Predrag Crnko (Croatia, Cessna 150). Team winners: 1. Czech Republic, 2. Poland, 3. Croatia.

July 17 - Midway Airlines suspends operations.

July 25 Su-27 fighter plane crashes into a crowd of spectators at an air show in Sknyliv near Lviv, Ukraine killing 77.

July 29 - Vanguard Airlines ceases operations. The next day it files for reorganization under Chapter 11 of US bankruptcy law.

July-December Italian conservationist and pilot Mr. Angelo d'Arrigo, guided a flock of 10 endangered Western Siberian Cranes -bred in captivity- with a foot-launched Powered Hang Glider 5,500 km from the Arctic Circle in Siberia, across Kazakhstan to the shores of the Caspian Sea in Iran, avoiding Afghanistan and Pakistan —where they fall victim to the abundant guns.

August
August 10 - US Airways files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

August 13 - Midway Airlines files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

October
October 18 - Boeing reveals its Bird of Prey stealth technology demonstrator, which has conducted a number of flights during the period 1996 to 1999.

November
November 6 - National Airlines, already operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, permanently ceases operations.

November 18 - American Airlines and British Airways announce plans to codeshare some transatlantic flights, but the partnership is heavily restricted by US regulators.

December
December 9 - United Airlines files for Chapter 11 reorganization, the largest airline bankruptcy in US history.

First flights

January
January 15 - Millennium Jet SoloTrek XFV
January 15 - Airbus A318
January 23 - IITB PADD Micro airship

February
February 11 - Airbus A340-500
February 16 - WD D5 Evolution
February 19 - Embraer 170
February 27 - Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign
February ?? - Socata TBM 700C2

March
March 4 - Van's RV-9
March 7 - Aviat Husky Pup
March 28 - AATG AT-10 airship

April
April 4 - Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk
April 21 - Irkut A-002
April 26 - Extra 500
April 29 - Saab JAS 39C Gripen

May
May 18 - Tomair Cobra Arrow
May 22 - Zlin Z 400 Rhino
May 22 - Boeing X-45
May 29 - Aceair Aeriks A-200
May 31 - Toyota TAA-1

June
June 1 - Aero L159B
June 22 - Tupolev Tu-214VSSN
June 28 - CAC J-10
June 30 - 21st Century Airships SPAS-R1

July
July 1 - Pilatus PC-21
July 9 - CargoLifter Scala
July 11 - Adam A500
July 18 - Boeing YAL-1A Airborne Laser (ABL)
July 31 - Boeing 747-400ER

August
August 1 - Scaled Composites White Knight
August 5 - BAE Systems Hawk NDA
August 20 - KAI T-50 Golden Eagle
August 26 - Eclipse Aviation Eclipse 500
August 31 - Learjet 40

September
September 18 - GE90-115B, world's most powerful jet engine
September 20 - BAE Systems Harrier GR Mk 7A

November
November 9 - MVEN MVEN-1 Fermer
November 30 - Sauper Aviation Papango

December
December 9 - Diamond Twin Star
December 12 - Grob G 140TP

Entered service

Airbus A340-600 with Virgin Atlantic Airways

March
March 18 - HAL Dhruv with the Indian Coast Guard