A Historic Day
120 years and 1 day ago, a historic invention finally managed to operate. The Wright Flyer birthed another great leap in exploration and travel and created a new global industry and form of study. On the day after a historic day like this, I will be going over the evolution of aeronautics.
Early days of Flight
Wilbur and Orville Wright have always been interested in the concept of flying, ever since their father gifted them a rotor-flying toy in their childhood. In 1899, the brothers began writing theories to help solve the problems of human flight. After many smaller prototypes, as well as working with other growing experts in the field, their success came four years later.
While a New York Times article in October 1903 claimed that human flight could only be achieved ‘one million to ten million years’ from then, they were proven wrong two months later. On this day, one hundred and twenty years ago, Orville Wright, onboard the Wright Flyer, managed to hover above the ground of the earth and travel a distance less than that of a modern airliner for twelve seconds. Those twelve seconds changed the way humanity envisioned travel forever.
As more scientists managed to grasp the knowledge needed to fly, the study of flight started to become an established form of technology. The flyers got higher. The distances got longer. The flyers also became more complex to allow for more advanced flights. Even the Wrights’ rotor-toy became an actual vehicle, which we now call helicopters.
War and The Need For Advancement
Pretty much after their invention, the military got invested in Wright’s flying machine as a weapon. Bomber planes, spy planes, and air forces became commonplace in many militaries at the time. With the invention of radar and radio communication too, it laid the groundwork for the modern airport system. They became a common sight in the Great War as the Allies and Germans kept advancing their development of aircraft to outdo each other.
Around this time, aircraft travel became common too. Passenger airlines became a thing between the World Wars. Pilots also became more ambitious, like Amelia Earhart, who travelled great distances across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
It also somewhat helped that airships, an alternative form of flying, were proving to be more dangerous. The Hindenburg disaster of 1937 effectively reigned aeroplanes as superior.
As planes became more standardised, with flying instruments and better engines, it led to aircraft being a major component to the Second World War.
World War 2 and After
The German Luftwaffe squadron, led by Hitler, was a key reason for Germany’s early victories in the war. Jet engines were finally implemented and also became a set standard for future aircraft. After Germany’s defeat, air travel became more popular than ever.
New commercial airline companies came into existence, allowing richer passengers the opportunity to leave the ground for once. However, the technical advancements of human flight by aeroplane were beaten in 1961. Yuri Gagarin and the Soviets managed to orbit around the planet, with Gagarin being the first human to leave the atmosphere. 8 years later, Apollo 11’s crew triumphed over again, as it led to men on the Moon.
Still, impressive achievements were being made with aircraft. The Bell X-1 in 1947 broke the sound barrier for the first time. Many more fighter jets, like the MiG-25 Foxbat, the X-15, and the Blackbird, have managed to push the limits of humanity’s speed.
The Boeing 747 was also unveiled and began flying in 1969, becoming one of the most commercially used aircraft in history. Ever since, Boeing’s only serious competitor was the Airbus, most famously the Airbus A380.
It also competed against the Concorde, which was much faster and reached supersonic speeds. It managed to travel from New York City to Paris in only three hours. However, an incident in 2000 ceased production of the aircraft completely.
The 21st Century + Reflections
Now, modern technology is well integrated into modern aircraft. As such, planes are now widely considered the safest and most used form of long-distance travel. Aircraft have also influenced modern-day geopolitics, such as the September 11 attacks, as well as integrated remote control and artificial intelligence into their cockpits.
We really do take for granted how influential aircraft have been in our lives. Its unbelievable to think that a century ago, going from Los Angeles to New York to London to Tokyo and back in a day or two was impossible. Yet, flight attendants endure long journeys like these every day. So, come on out! Let’s celebrate the 120th anniversary of a brother lifting off the ground, changing travel, human exploration, and the limits of what we can do forever.