https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/fb2aa927-3764-4bde-a5ed-b7a4f3f5aae7 This U.S. Air Force highlight reel from 1959 showcases a parade of innovation and spectacular achievement. The film begins with a parade of the "Century Series" fighter aircraft performing at Ellis Air Force Base, plus almost every other aircraft in USAF inventory including C-130s, B-58s, B-47s and B-52s. The U.S. Air Force Academy graduates its first class of 207 cadets. The Thor IRBM is tested and the Atlas ICBM becomes fully operational, and the Bomarc interceptor is seen. (See a spectacular explosion at the 5:30 mark of an Atlas booster). The first Atlas launch by a Strategic Air Command crew is shown. Operation Dark Cloud / Pinecone II is shown, a mass airborne exercise. The U.S. Air Force football team is shown at Yankee Stadium in "combat" with the West Point football team. The film ends with spectacular footage of the X-15 making rocket powered flights with Scott Crossfield in the cockpit. The film provides an overview of significant events in aviation and military history. It begins with the World Congress of Flight in 1959, featuring a parade of Air Force Century series fighters at Nellis Air Force Base, and demonstrations of the B-58 and C-130 Hercules. Thousands of citizens viewed various combat aircraft, and there was an air-to-air rocket proficiency demonstration. The year also marked the first graduating class of the United States Air Force Academy, with a graduation ceremony and commissioning of officers. Operational launches of the Thor missile and successful test firings of the Atlas ICBM by a military crew were highlighted. Operation Dark Cloud Pinecone 2, a joint Air Force and Army exercise, demonstrated the capability to handle any aggressor. The Air Force vs. Army football game at Yankee Stadium ended in a 13-13 tie. The X-15 experimental craft brought the nation closer to manned space flight, achieving speeds over Mach 2 and altitudes over 50,000 ft, with successful first powered flights and future plans to reach the fringe of space. 00:00 - Introduction to the World Congress of Flight. 0:54 - Parade of Air Force Century series fighters at Nellis Air Force Base in April 1959. 1:20 - Thousands of citizens view various combat aircraft. 1:55 - Demonstration of the B-58 and C-130 Hercules. 2:19 - Air-to-air rocket proficiency demonstration. 3:07 - 1959 marks the first graduating class of the United States Air Force Academy. 3:57 - Graduation ceremony and commissioning of officers. 4:51 - Operational launches of the Thor missile and tests of the Atlas ICBM. 5:55 - Successful test firings of the Atlas ICBM by a military crew. 6:58 - Operation Dark Cloud Pinecone 2, a joint Air Force and Army exercise. 7:34 - Air National Guard and Tactical Air Command jets participate in the exercise. 8:12 - Air Force Pathfinders mark the jump area for paratroopers. 9:02 - Exercise demonstrates the capability to handle any aggressor. 9:30 - Air Force vs. Army football game at Yankee Stadium ends in a 13-13 tie. 11:47 - X-15 experimental craft brings the nation closer to manned space flight. 12:26 - First powered flight of the X-15, achieving speeds over Mach 2 and altitudes over 50,000 ft. 13:34 - Successful first powered flight of the X-15, with future plans to reach the fringe of space. Motion picture films don't last forever; many have already been lost or destroyed. We collect, scan and preserve 35mm, 16mm and 8mm movies -- including home movies, industrial films, and other non-fiction. If you have films you'd like to have scanned or donate to Periscope Film, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us via the link below. This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFeMH5nHEyM Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm) Sat, 13 Jun 2026 05:28:17 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://peertube.dngr.us https://peertube.dngr.us/lazy-static/avatars/41a6fee9-7f57-42d0-a5fc-5db4f1af2e31.png https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/fb2aa927-3764-4bde-a5ed-b7a4f3f5aae7 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://peertube.dngr.us/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.