World Aviation in 1992

25 April
The second Boeing YF22 prototype suffers control problems while landing at Edwards Air Force Base and is damaged in the resulting fire. The pilot escapes with only minor injuries.

May
Plans to retire the McDonnell Douglas F4G Phantom II from American service are shelved. As a result of its success in Operation Desert Storm, it has been decided to keep the F4G in service in the anti-aircraft radar countermeasures role with the United States Air Force (USAF) for several more years.

29 June
The first Advanced Light Helicopter developed by Hindustani Aeronautics and Messerschmitt Bolkow-Blohm is rolled out in Bangalore.

4 July
The aircraft carrier USS George Washington comes into service.

27 August
United Nations aircraft begin to enforce a ‘no-fly’ zone over southern Iraq to prevent attacks on Shi’ite Muslims by Iraqi aircraft.

16 September
Five hot air balloons set off from the USA to cross the Atlantic in the Chrysler Transatlantic Challenge balloon race. The Belgian team is the first to complete the crossing and the United States team establishes a new balloon duration record of 144 hours 16 minutes.

31 October
The Italian Navy buys thirteen Hawker Siddeley/British Aerospace (BAe) AV8B Harrier II Plus aircraft for use on the helicopter carrier Garibaldi.