March 5

What happened on March 5 in aviation and space history.

• March 5, 1936

  First flight of the Supermarine Spitfire

  First flight — The Supermarine Spitfire flew for the first time on 1936-03-05.

• March 5, 2018

  First operational shipboard deployment of the F-35B, aboard USS Wasp

  Milestone — F-35Bs of squadron VMFA-121 settled onto the deck of USS Wasp, modified to withstand the new fighter's vertical exhaust, and began the type's first operational shipboard deployment with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in the Indo-Pacific. Unlike the 2011 sea trials, this time the aircraft embarked as part of a force on mission. The ship operated in waters off Okinawa and the Philippines.