History of Aviation

For thousands of years human beings have looked to the skies with hope and admiration. The dreams of achieving artificial flight have occupied the imaginations of thinkers and engineers since the days of ancient Greece right up to the time of Leonardo da Vinci. Although these flights of fancy were ultimately futile, in 1903 Wilbur and Orrville Wright finally turned centuries of dreaming into reality when they flew 120 feet in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17th, 1903.

Now that mankind had conquered the air, what to do with these curious machines would occupy the minds of some of the most creative and dedicated people around the world. Powered flight was such a revolutionary concept few people had any idea about how to apply it practically, and much early airplane technology was a bit questionable at best, so the first few years after Kitty Hawk the Wright brothers and other competitors tried to improve the designs of their flying machines.

Aviation Grows.

Aviation continued to grow and expand until 1910, when a department store hired the Wright brothers to transport some silk ribbon to a store 60 miles away from their base in Ohio. While mostly a publicity stunt, it helped improve public opinion of the airplane as a viable means of transportation, as it outmatched the fastest train running the same route.

Airplanes in the Military.

By the time of the First World War, airplanes had achieved a place in the militaries of many nations, although usually in only a reconnaissance capacity. When pilots began to take pistols into their cockpits or grenades to drop on the trenches below, aerial combat began. Flying technology advanced rapidly, and by the end of the war the airplane had secured a permanent place in the arsenal of every country around the world.

After the war, the role of aviation expanded greatly because the war fueled the development of new technologies. Before the war planes were made of canvas and wood, but newer, stronger engines allowed the use of stronger materials like aluminum. Aviation technology continued to advance until 1919 when Charles Lindberg made the first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Lindberg became a national hero, and combined with the exploits of Amelia Earhart and ex-WWI barnstorming pilots that toured the country showing off their skills, the American people became fascinated with flying of all sorts.

The first airlines got their start between the Wars, and although plane travel was far out of reach except for the wealthiest people. Interest in flight as transport for both people and materials was put on hold by the Great Depression, but advancements still continued.

History of Jet Planes.

The first jet engines were developed in Germany in 1939, but the oncoming war would further accelerate aviation technology faster than every before.

The late 1940s and early 1950s saw the expansion of commercial flight throughout the United States. The surplus heavy long range bombers left over from the war were easily converted into long range transports for cargo and passengers. Air travel began to slowly supplant railroads as the primary mode of transportation, and with the breaking of the sound barrier in 1947 jet engines became safe enough for routine travel.

When Yuri Gagarin entered low earth orbit in 1961 the sky was no longer the limit. The drive to be the first to conquer space fueled the “Space Race” between the USA and the USSR that culminated with the July 1969 moon landing. It is interesting to note that the first Boeing 747 was unveiled the same year, ushering in modern the era of jet travel that we enjoy to this day. Later on, the Concorde supersonic transport made crossing the Atlantic in speed and style possible, and though retired from service, it stands as a landmark in aviation history.

The future of aviation is likely to be dictated as it always had; the needs of the consumers balanced with available technology. With humanity taking its first private steps into space with the Ansari X prize, technology for flying people around the world faster and safer than ever before.

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Commercial Aviation

Commercial aviation is a broad category that encompasses any type of flight performed for profit. Transporting people and cargo themselves is an enormous part of the economy of the world, and there are thousands of industries who rely on speedy delivery of people and goods in order to manufacture, sell, and distribute these products.

The high cost of maintaining large numbers of commercial transport vessels pushes the limits of many businesses and airlines, and many of these organizations face difficult choices to manage costs and budgets. Unfortunately, rather than dip into savings or reduce profits and salaries, many unscrupulous airlines skimp on passenger comforts and safety precautions. Training, maintenance, equipment, and repairs are often the first line items to fall off a budget when profits are on the line.

Commercial aviation accidents occur far too often. If you or someone you love suffered an injury in a commercial aviation accident you may have the right to take action against those responsible. Aviation litigation is notoriously complicated so it serves you to have a dedicated, experienced, and aggressive attorney on your side. Contact the offices of Wayne Ferrell today, and let us fight for you tomorrow.

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History of Commercial Aviation

When most people think of commercial aviation huge fleets of sleek, fast jets of large passenger airliners crisscrossing the world immediately spring to mind. Few of the people who witnessed the first flights of commercial aviation would ever have dreamt of the speed, luxury, and diversity of what airlines would become.

After the First World War many combat pilots were looking for a way to keep flying, and often toured on the barnstorming circuit, charging a nominal fee for a few minutes in the air. The taste for air travel took flight after that, and with the development of the air mail system in the decade after the Great War, the potential uses for air power were limited only by technology and imagination.

The airline industry grew directly out of the companies who took up the contacts for the postal service to transport mail between the central hubs of New York and San Francisco. Carriers for passenger service began in the 1920s, and although new advancements in engine technology made traveling by air faster and safer, relative luxuries such as heated, pressurized cabins were still decades away. Nevertheless, new planes such as the Boeing 247 and the Douglas DC-3 and the rise of international flights through Pan-Am, air travel was becoming one of the most popular and glamorous ways to travel.

The Second World War disrupted much commercial air travel as resources were needed to supply the frontlines, but after the war the airline industry more than rebounded for a number of reasons. First, the United States was relatively untouched by the ravages of war, so many people simple picked up where they left off. Second, the number of pilots and surplus planes allowed many carriers to double their staff and inventory. Third, contracts with the military provided capital to invest in new technologies, and many plants still had their military production lines running. Combining a sense of victory with a desire for adventure, people living after WWII embraced air travel like never before.

Jet travel and the Space Race drove the popular imagination of people who thought technology would bring them the future, today. In fact the same year of the moon landing saw the introduction of Boeing’s 747. Both these technologies would, in their own ways, increase the ability of people to travel the globe unhindered. Further developments such as the supersonic Concorde shrank the world even more, allowing people to cross the Atlantic in luxury and speed in a few hours.

Commercial aviation suffered a major setback after the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. Many people became afraid to fly, but new preventive regulations have made air travel safer than ever before. The future of commercial aviation is filled with promise however as new technologies and advances unite people around the globe more than ever before. Furthermore, new technologies that drive private spaceflight will soon provide people the same experience the first barnstormers gave to people across the country right after the First World War. For everyone in the 21st century the sky is no longer the limit.

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