the beginning . . . The    National    Aeronautics    and    Space    Administration required   a   platform   to   provide   tracking   and   telemetry   to fulfill   Apollo   requirements   in   remote   locations   across the   world.   This   platform   would   also   be   tasked   to   fulfill Department    of    Defense    requirements.    In    1966    the Apollo    Range    Instrumentation    Aircraft    program    was born. the price . . . On   May   6,   1981,   the   Advanced   Range   Instrumentation Aircraft    61-0328    departed    from    Wright-Patterson    Air Force   Base   on   a   training   mission;   it   was   to   be   the   last flight. The   aircraft   crashed   at   Walkersville,   Maryland,   21 souls on board. the heritage . . . The   dawn   of   a   new   millennium   ended   the   Advanced Range   Instrumentation   Aircraft   program.   ARIA   played an   important   role   in   the   United   States   defense   program. Before   it   would   end, ARIA   would   touch   the   hearts   of   the men   and   women   that   served   in   the   program   supporting the    United    States    of    America    and    other    countries around the world. this site . . . f lyARIA.com   is   a   private   web   site   that   has   no   affiliation with   the   United   States   Air   Force   or   any   government agency.   This   site   was   created   to   provide   a   safe   haven to    record    the    history    of    the   Apollo/Advanced    Range Instrumentation Aircraft program. This   site   is   dedicated   to   the   crew   and   passengers   of ARIA 61-0328. Gone, but not forgotten.