AviationRyan Flanagan

History of Aviation1783 - Montgolfier

Brothers construct the first lighter-

than-air vehicle (a balloon)

1903 - Orville and

Wilbur Wright fly

first successful

self-propelled airplane

1909 - Louis Bleriot crosses

English Channel in a monoplane

1918 - United States Post Office

establishes airmail service

1924 - First flight around the world

1933 - Boeing 247

is built

1937 - Zeppelin Hindenburg

burns

1950s - Technologies such as long-range missiles,

computer systems, electronic controls,

combustion chemistry, and new composite structures

made possible by the aerospace industry

1971 - Boeing 747 makes its

first commercial flight from

New York to London

History of Aviation continued…

1972 - NASA announces the

shuttle program

1981 - First Space Shuttle flight

1986 - Challenger Space Shuttle

explodes shortly after takeoff, all

seven crew members die

2003 - Aviation

celebrates its first century

2010 - July 7-8, Bertrand Piccard and his Solar Impulse team make

aviation history by flying more than 24

consecutive hours non-stop in a solar airplane.

How has aviation evolved technologically?

Through out history the field of aviation has evolved in many different ways. The earliest known attempts at aviation was through the development of kites and gliders. The first successful attempt at flight was in 200 B.C. in China, when a general flew a kite over enemy territory to calculate the length of tunnel required to enter the region. This was the first successful attempt at aviation ever known in history. As time went on, people began wanted to improve the design of this kite and create new technologies to improve aviation as a whole. One person who tried to do this is Leonardo da Vinci during the renaissance. He created many designs for vehicles of flight, but almost every design he created was never tested in anyway. Many of the attempts at aviation were considered failures until the 1700's. During this time, the first hot air balloon was constructed by the Montgolfier brothers in 1783. This was considered the first lighter than air vehicle ever made. This balloon was powered by a wood fire and was not steerable.(It flew where ever the wind took it.) The first steerable balloon was created in 1852 by Henri Giffard. It was able to fly 15 miles driven by a steam engine. The balloon eventually lead to other the advent of other vehicles such as zeppelin and the modern hot air balloons that we have today.

Evolution of aviation technology continued...

Until the invention of the internal combustion engine, many of the flights that occurred were not controlled. The first ever flight that was considered controllable was made by the wright brothers in 1903. Following a step by step method, discovering aerodynamic forces then controlling the flight, the brothers built and tested a series of kite and glider designs from 1900 to 1902 before attempting to build a powered design. Most of the gliders worked, but not as well as they hoped. So before even attempting to build a light weight engine to power their planes, they chose the glider that had the best design and developed it. They helped to advance the field of aeronautics as well based on the air foil experiments and engine designs. They flew their plane in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903. They were successful and fueled the need to develop new and more efficient aviation technology. Over time, new more successful planes powered by an single engine and propeller were created and were used until the development of the jet engine. The jet engine was invented on May 15, 1941. This had led to the development of planes that were able to fly longer distances in a shorter amount of time. The first time that a jet engine was first used on a plane was in 1971 when the Boeing 747 had made its first commercial flight from New York to London. The jet engine also helped to lead to the other technological advances, such as rockets and missile systems, that we still have today. As we continue developing new technologies, the jet engine system is actually is beginning to become obsolete. New types of power sources, such as solar energy, is being used to power planes.

Model of the first balloon

created by the Montgolfier brothers.

Two of Leonardo da Vinci's designs that were never built or tested.

Wright brothers getting ready to fly their plane.

Biplane built in the 1930's built based on the Wright brothers' design.

All of these planes use jet engines to propel themselves.

Businesses that Work with Aviation

There are many different types of businesses that each provides a unique service and works with aviation. Some of these businesses are...

-Air Force-Domestic Airlines-International Airlines -Aviation Safety Network-National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

Air Force

• Most people may not consider the Air Force a business, but it can be because it's own separate entity.

• The way that the Air Force runs themselves is similar to a business as well they use many of the same tools a business may use to run themselves.

• The Air Force may not provide certain products to consumers, but they do provide a service. One service that the Air Force provides is that helps to protect our nation from certain threats such as a potential air attack from another country.

• Another service that they provide is helping to advance the technology used in the field of aviation. As they help to advance technology, it helps to affect other areas of business as the new technology they create may become available to other consumers.

Domestic Airlines• Domestic airlines is the biggest

parts of the businesses dealing with aviation. Some domestic airlines are Delta, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Jet Blue.

• The main service that domestic airlines provides is travel. Domestic airlines provide travel to consumers to almost any location in the same country they are based in.

• Other services they may provide is frequent flyer points. These points provide consumers with certain benefits such as discounts or free flights, or even discounts on popular attractions.

• Another service they provide is being able to buy tickets over the internet. This makes being able to purchase tickets easier. You are also able to check the status of your flights as well.

International Airlines• International airlines, such

as Air France and Lufthansa, provide services similar to domestic airlines, but they have a few differences.

• One of the main difference is that international airline provide travel to consumers to other countries. They are not limited to the countries that they are based in.

• These airlines also provide consumers with frequent flyer miles as well to provide their consumers with certain benefits.

• Many of these airlines have use the internet as a tool as well to provide certain services as well.(i.e. Buying tickets, checking flights)

Aviation Safety Network

• Aviation Safety Network was founded in 1999 with a mission to provide consumers up to date safety information concerning travel on commercial airlines.

• The Aviation Safety Network provides consumers with a extensive data base containing information regarding airline accidents and safety issues.

• They also have a section where they inform consumers what to do if they face a potentially dangerous situation while they are on the plane.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

(NOAA) • The NOAA was founded in

1807, when the Nation’s first scientific agency, the Survey of the Coast, was established.

• The NOAA works closely with airlines and other businesses in the aviation industry to keep an close on weather conditions and alert airlines if the weather conditions are to dangerous for flight.

• Also, the NOAA helps to keep track of flights to make sure they are traveling on the right path and to make sure they reach their destination safely.