World Aviation in 1926

6 January
Deutsche Lufthansa airline is formed, but does not begin commercial operations until 6 April.

22 January - 10 February
Commandante Franco makes the first east to west crossing of the South Atlantic, flying a Dornier Wal flying boat in stages.

8 March
Dr Robert H. Goddard statically tests one of his first rockets.

9 May
Lieutenant Commander Richard E. Byrd of the United States Navy (USN) and Floyd Bennett make the first over-flight of the North Pole, in Fokker F.VIIA-3m 'Josephine Ford'.

11-14 May
In the first airship flight over the North Pole, Roald Amundsen, the Norwegian expedition leader, uses the airship 'Norge' to fly from Spitzbergen to Teller in Alaska.

11 June
The first flight of the Ford 4AT Tri-motor.

2 July
The United States Army Air Service (USAAS) changes its name to the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC).

24 July - 26 September
Two Junkers G24s fly from Berlin to Peking and back.

28 July
The first recovery of a seaplane by a submarine is completed by the United States Navy (USN) during experimental trials.

16 September
The Lioré et Olivier 20 heavy bomber creates a sensation with a new world record distance carrying a 2'000 kilo bomb-load.

Also this year...
A prototype of the Junkers G31 is developed in Germany and a Soviet Scientific Test Aerodrome opens at Khodinki, near Moscow.