American Football and Airplanes Took off at the Same Time (and are still connected)

Both football and airplanes are deeply ingrained in the American psyche. But I don’t have to tell you this—look at the Super Bowl that took place just a couple of weeks ago. While the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots drew the smallest crowd since 2009, there were still about 103.4 [...]

By |February 19th, 2018|Aviation History, General Aviation|Comments Off on American Football and Airplanes Took off at the Same Time (and are still connected)

Model Planes: The Gateway to Aviation for All Ages

Model airplanes allow children and adults to get up-close and personal with aviation without becoming a pilot or buying a plane ticket. Models made to scale can mark the beginning of a journey into aviation through its history and fascinating stories associated with real life versions of a plane. Assembling model airplanes requires patience, skill, [...]

By |August 23rd, 2017|Aviation History, General Aviation|Comments Off on Model Planes: The Gateway to Aviation for All Ages

What Does a Serial Killer and the First Airplane Have in Common?

Did a killer unintentionally change the course of aviation history as we know it?  In 2015, famed historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough released a new book, “The Wright Brothers.” Early in his text, he recounts an event that ultimately changed the course of Wilbur’s life—and arguably the history of aviation as we know [...]

By |June 14th, 2017|Aviation History|Comments Off on What Does a Serial Killer and the First Airplane Have in Common?

The Early History of Commercial Air Travel

In 2016, 3.8 billion people traveled by air, and IATA expects that number to double over the course of 20 years. This isn't unreasonable, considering that the 4 billion passengers expected to fly commercially this year is double what it was just 12 years ago. Suffice it to say, commercial air travel is common these days. [...]

By |May 3rd, 2017|Aviation History, General Aviation|Comments Off on The Early History of Commercial Air Travel

Aerodynamics and the Wingtip Flip

I remember when I was taught to fold up the tips of wings on my paper airplanes. I was told that it would help them fly better, but I mostly listened and folded them up because I thought it looked cool. Today, many airplanes feature winglets. Why? Because they help them fly better. The Aerodynamic Revolution [...]

By |May 1st, 2017|General Aviation|Comments Off on Aerodynamics and the Wingtip Flip

Celebrate National Siblings Day with These Famous Sibling Aviators

When it comes to having siblings, it tends to be a love/hate situation--sometimes a little more of one than the other (I can say that I know this from experience). And if there's anything more challenging than simply having siblings, working with them can be a completely different matter altogether. Some siblings, however, have made [...]

By |April 10th, 2017|Aviation History, General Aviation|Comments Off on Celebrate National Siblings Day with These Famous Sibling Aviators

Where Was Santa When the World Was Learning How to Fly?

The evolution of Santa alongside the evolution of early flight ‘Twas the week before Christmas and some of us were wondering—hey, if Santa could fly for all this time, where was he when the rest of us were learning to fly? A man by any other name would still be jolly Santa Claus. Saint Nicholas. [...]

By |December 21st, 2016|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Where Was Santa When the World Was Learning How to Fly?

Plane of the Week: Wright Flyer

  When it comes to aviation, I can’t help but think of Orville and Wilbur Wright. After all, they paved the way for aviation as it exists today. Without their historic flight on December 17th, 1903, who’s to say where aviation would currently be. The Wright Brothers achieved this feat using their “Wright Flyer” aircraft, which [...]

By |October 21st, 2016|Plane Of The Week|Comments Off on Plane of the Week: Wright Flyer

Santos-Dumont vs The Wright Brothers: Who Really Invented the Airplane?

It's official: the 2016 Summer Olympics are over in Rio. America took away the most medals with a total of 121 (46 gold). Britain followed with a total of 67 medals (27 gold), and China a respectable third with 70 total medals (26 gold). A lot has happened over the past two weeks, but amid [...]

By |August 23rd, 2016|Aviation History|Comments Off on Santos-Dumont vs The Wright Brothers: Who Really Invented the Airplane?

5 of the Most Prolific Early Flying Machine Inventors

Humans have always been rather obsessed with the notion of flight, well before the development of modern airplanes. In fact, many early civilizations bore myths and legends of mankind and gods alike taking flight. Perhaps the most well-known and referenced myth regarding man and flight is the Greek story of Daedalus and Icarus: Daedalus, an inventor, fashioned a [...]

By |August 1st, 2016|Aviation History, General Aviation|Comments Off on 5 of the Most Prolific Early Flying Machine Inventors