To the most important things responsible for the globalization of the world that we enjoy today is definitely flying and specifically the advent of Transatlantic Flight. In the beginning of the 20th century, the only thing holding the world back was the Atlantic Ocean that was separating the powerful United States with the ancient Europe. It was a powerful combination that would allow the globalization of the world when the time came. However, in the beginning of the 20th century the main problem was the aerodynamic complications that prevented the planes at the time from crossing the Transatlantic. The internal vibrations and other complications prevented such long range and long duration flights. Thus, the only way to cross the Atlantic from the United States to Europe and specifically England was to go across with a transatlantic ship. For this journey, a transatlantic ship took about 7 days to cross the vast gulf of the Atlantic Ocean.

However, all of that changed when the daring and brave aviator Charles Lindberg crossed the Atlantic in a plane in 1927. It signaled beginning of a new era when the traveling between the two continents would become commonplace someday. As soon as the 1930′s started air carriers at the time started experimenting with transatlantic flights. Of course the first experiments were empty flight but the slowly and slowly carriers started carrying postal mail with the transatlantic flights. At the time, there were two major carriers: British Imperial Airways and Pan American Airways, which would in time, become the flag carrier of the United States. Both of these airlines started to cross the Atlantic and deliver postal mail across the two continents. However also Deutsche Air was a powerful competition as it carried mail between South America and West Africa. Although it was some time before investors would start commercial flights with passengers, these ail mail routes provided the necessary expertise for the transatlantic flight. A postal flight across the Atlantic Ocean was concluded in less than a day.

Another major problem at the time was the availability off suitable landing strips for transatlantic flights. The necessary concrete just wasn’t there and thus instead of land planes, ship planes called the Flying Boats were used for Transatlantic flights. These flying boats were easily capable of landing in water with the fuselage acting as the landing gear or a boat.

It was perhaps Pan AM vision that allowed transatlantic flights to become really successful and commonplace. Juan Trippe, who was the founder of PAN AM quickly saw that transatlantic flights would be a major business someday and he quickly negotiated for routes and stopping points along the way like the Bahamas. He also ordered a special flying boat to be produced the legendary B-314 which would continue to serve the PAN AM fleet for decades to come. It was able to carry 74 passengers and it had a galley and sleeping quarters aboard. At last, the big day came when in June 28, 1939 PAN AM had its first commercial flight with passenger across the Atlantic. This first flight was between New York and France and the passengers were charged $375 for a one way trip. It was the beginning of an era where PAN AM would dominate the world with its famous Clipper Service that flew across the Atlantic continuously and dominatingly.

Although the World War II proved to be slow in business due to world affairs, after the war the pace of aeronautics and commercial flights across the Atlantic picked up speed. It was also a time of boom for American carriers as the carriers pf Europe were war weary. Three major American carriers were present at the time: The famous PAN AM, the American Export Company and Transcontinental and Western Airlines (T W A). Especially right after World War II, these American carriers were especially dominant in the world market for transatlantic flights. However as the wounds of the war were getting licked, European Air Carriers also begun to emerge as competitors I the Transatlantic Air Market. Airlines such as the Belgium Sabena and the Dutch Royal Airways like the KLM would also provide a stiff competition to the American Carriers. However, the transatlantic carrier PAN AM proved to be the most famous and the most powerful of all the airlines in the Transatlantic route until its collapse in 1991. However, it was responsible for pioneering the way and joining the two continents together. By the advent of the 1950′s, Air Travel between the two continents of the Atlantic Ocean had become commonplace and the world was on its way to becoming a one big global community.

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As soon as the first plane was invented, it became the founding stone for the sea plane which took of for the first time in 1910. The first sea plane the ‘Le Canard’ flew for 800 meters in its first flight. During the achievements of its era, it was considered monumental. Although the first flight of the Sea plane occurred in France, United States would soon follow after with the invention and production of its first seaplane in 19911 by Glenn Curtiss. It was a monumental event for the United States as it signaled a beginning of an era that would mar a huge race in Aeronautics between Europe and the United States.

The word Seaplane was meant to symbolize two types of planes associated with the sea. The type that is still used today is the floating plane or the hydroplane that we still see and use today. In this type of a seaplane, the fuselage or the main body of the aircraft never touches water but rather the landing gear touches water. Although this wasn’t common at the beginning, it soon became a worked out and accepted model that can be still seen in service in smaller planes that needs to land on water today. The design of the hydroplane was also used to design aircraft that could land easily on aircraft carriers (which consequently made the United States the most powerful country in the world with the success of its aircraft carriers)

The second type of a Seaplane that was very popular in the 1920′s and 1930′s was the Flying Boat. As the name suggests, it was a design that allowed the planes fuselage to act as a boat when it landed on the sea or a body of water. Hence, it was termed the Flying Boat due to its ability to land and take off from water. When a flying boat landed on the water, its main fuselage would sink by 15% into the water for smooth landing and hence it would not use any landing gears. This model of a seaplane termed the Flying Boat was very popular in the 20′s and 30′s and it was even used in the World War I very extensively.

IN time, seaplanes also became commercially feasible. The world’s biggest airline PAN AM used seaplanes as its main carriers for a long time until Boeing Aircraft became popular. Especially in the 20s and 30s, airports and airstrips were not very common due to lack of commercial investment. Thus, seaplanes were the perfect aircraft so that they could be used to land in a body of water especially near coastlines.

A special big sea/airfield was designed in Hawaii to accommodate transoceanic flights that would carry passengers by means of flying boats from Hawaii to Mainland. By the advent of 1940′s the era of airplanes really began and the flying boats as a commercial plane was discontinued. By the 1950′s with the advent of Boeing Aircraft, seaplanes had just become a part of a long forgotten legacy.

So with the WWII, ended the era of the flying boat airline and mainly invented since airlines did not have long runways that could handle large planes. Aids to help in navigation were minimum, weather and other problem created problems for planes and the flying boat seemed to counter them quite effectively.

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The beginnings of transcontinental flight had their roots in a funding shortage faced by the U.S. airmail service after 1918, when it started to suffer losses every year while struggling to cope with increasing demands and operational costs. To avoid transferring such costs to customers, the Post Office asked for tax money funding from the Federal Government instead.

The early transcontinental mail route from September 1920 consisted of inter-relays of mail cargo from planes to railcars when night descended. The total time taken for such routes was 78 hours, compared to train transported mail of 108 hours. However, then president Warren Harding opined that trains still provided a more affordable service, and wanted to pull out Congress money from the airmail service.

In order to demonstrate the viability of a transcontinental mail route in time and cost savings to Harding and secure tax money funding, Postmaster General Burleson and Assistant Postmaster General Otto Praeger offered to stage a public flight across the country without the involvement of the railroad. This was planned on Washington’s Birthday on February 22, 1921, to raise its public profile.

From the outset, it would not represent an attractive flight. The pilots flew World War I surplus planes not designed for long distance routes and the open cockpits meant they were subjected to the harsh altitude weather and hot engine oil sprays. Night flights would also present a formidable challenge, as they could not rely on visual landmarks to establish their routes. With the onset of snow or fog, pilots were often forced to maintain low altitudes, which posed unknown risks of colliding with landmarks with the reduced visibility. Praeger came up with a plan to hedge these risks, with post office staff to mark the transcontinental route by fires lit at night.

Additionally, Praeger published the Transcontinental Air Mail Pilot’s log prior to the flight. A collection of Post Office pilots’ flight notes and providing detailed information such as landmarks and distances regarding the transcontinental route, it would serve to assist the pilots in navigating their attempt. It would also be a precursor to the creation of printed navigation aids in the future.

The demonstration took off at 6:00 a.m. on February 22, 1921, as two mail planes took flight on a westward journey from Hazelhurst Field, Long Island, New York. Correspondingly, another two aircrafts headed east from Marina Field, San Francisco, California. They would meet with scheduled relay planes at various stops.

It was not long before the first tragedy occurred. W.F. Lewis on one of the eastward flights, crashed soon after takeoff. J.L. Eaton took over and managed to arrive in Salt Lake City before noon, where a series of relay pilots took them through Cheyenne, Wyoming, to North Platte, Nebraska. James H. ‘Jack’ Knight was the pilot that started the route from North Platte, but little did he know that he would be the last one, and the man responsible for accomplishing the objective of this demonstration, securing the future of airmail.

Aided by torches and fire lights across Lexington Kearney and Central City, Nebraska; Knight made his way to Omaha through the freezing night cold. Upon discovering that he was the last remaining pilot on the journey at Omaha, due to unforeseen circumstances aborting his substitute’s flight, Knight soldiered on gamely and left for Iowa City at 2:00 a.m.

Knight continued to rely on ground-lit fires to establish his route across Iowa and Illinois, avoiding a crash on his landing in Iowa City airfield. After a short rest, he embarked on the last 200 miles to Chicago. Despite a cold mist that reduced flight visibility, Knight successfully touched down on Chicago Checkerboard Field at 8:40 a.m., largely dependant on a compass and torn road map. Knight was hailed a national hero, after braving the 830-mile flight with a broken nose.

When the Chicago snowstorm ended, J.D. Webster then made the flight eastward from Chicago to Cleveland at 9:00 a.m. Pilot Ernest Allison took over in Cleveland and reached Hazelhurst Field, New York, at 4:50 p.m.

Knight celebrated his personal achievement, but it was made all the more possible by a team effort from seven pilots. The transcontinental flight stretched over 2,629 miles with a time of 26 hours in the air. Harding was finally convinced. Touched by the pilots’ efforts and public interest, he wholeheartedly gave his blessings to the bill that awarded federal funding to airmail.

With money available to develop more route lighting, navigation aids, pilots and better aircrafts, the era of 24-hour transcontinental airmail routes began on July 1, 1924. The zones of New York-Chicago, Chicago-Rock Springs, and Rock Springs-San Francisco were established, found on the principles of better route management and reasonable pricing mechanisms for airmail (which cost only 8 cents per ounce within zones).

Despite the developments of transcontinental flight from the Post Office’s public experiment, there continued to be public disagreements on airmail system funding between customers, the aviation industry and government. Each party had their own agendas ranging from self-preservation to self-interest, and it was not until the 1925 Kelly Act before they were eventually address, leading to where transcontinental flight is now in today.

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Before the Wright brothers, there were the Montgolfier brothers and they had the idea of flight a hundred years earlier. And before you had the airplane, the flight tool of choice was the hot air balloon, invented by the Parisian siblings in the 1700′s.

The Montgolfier brothers, Joseph and ‘tienne, had opposing personalities. One lived on ideals and invention, while ‘tienne represented the practical and business-minded. Though their father left the family business in the hands of their elder brother Raymond, the latter passed away not before long and ‘tienne took over with much success, based on relentless technology implementation and public acclaim and recognition.

The hot air balloon was said to be Joseph’s idea, dreamt up while observing drying laundry over fire. The hot air pockets that collected under the wet cloth led him to wonder if troops carried by aircrafts founded on such an observation, could bring down the fortress of Gibraltar. Joseph’s mental tinkering did not end there, as he proceeded to build his first balloon based on a lightweight wooden box covered with taffeta. When he simulated hot air from an underlying piece of burning paper, the device rose into the ceiling. This excited Joseph so much that he prompted ‘tienne to come over with more taffeta and rope.

What resulted next was a squarish three metre balloon that saw incredibly positive results from a sophomore experiment. The balloon sped into the air on its debut test flight on December 1782 and crashed in a field two kilometres away. This eventually led to numerous public demonstrations of their invention, including one for French dignitaries in June 1783, which saw the balloon soaring to 2,000 metres. This revelation proceeded to sweep across France.

Next on the agenda were attempts to create the first manned hot air balloon. The lack of scientific knowledge of the atmosphere raised questions of its suitability for human life in its upper reaches. Criminals were suggested as test subjects, but the brothers settled on using animals.

The first flight with a live being was tested in September 1783, when the Montgolfier brothers floated a basket with a sheep, duck and rooster to over 450 metres and across 3 kilometres, before seeing it crash due to a lack of sufficient compensation for the additional weight.

Having established the rarefied atmosphere as relatively safe for human consumption, the Montgolfier brothers embarked on designs for a human manned hot air balloon. Original designs featured ground tethered balloons, but November saw the first untethered hot air balloon flight, with a doctor and army officer as its voluntary passengers. The two men manned the balloon for 25 minutes at heights of 100 metres and traveled 9 kilometres before ending the flight due to the balloon cloth starting to burn. The flight ended since they had to prevent the cloth from burning and landed in a field.

The Montgolfier brothers did face competition from inventors who attempted to use the newly discovered element of hydrogen to power balloons. It was a discovery that eventually pushed hot air balloons to the backbench as a form of flight technology.

Despite this, hot air balloons continue to exist in modern times. Its original design first met with an update by Ed Yost in 1960, when he lined the balloon with plastic and used kerosene burners. Yost even made several successful jaunts in his balloon such as that of over the English Channel. He failed in his bid to cross the Atlantic (although someone else eventually did with the same design), but Yost’s balloon continued to achieve many records for flight time and distance.

The modern day hot air balloon now feature rip-stop nylon and propane burners, which has greatly improved its safety aspect. While a far cry from its humble beginnings of taffeta and raw fire, the hot air balloons continue to astound with its longevity in the face of its more illustrious technologically advanced flight cousins.

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The Wright Brothers’ first aircraft blueprint was born in 1899. This followed a formal request for flight experiment data submitted to the Smithsonian Institution.

This blueprint was based on the Wright Brothers’ theory of wing warping, where the adjustment of the wingtips could manipulate the rolling motion and balance of an aircraft. This resulted from the Wright Brothers’ careful study of the flight of birds, where they could achieve their flight patterns through constant warping of their wings. The end result was a biplane glider slight in build, and tested while flying it like a kite.

Wilbur and Orville Wright’s ideas continued to evolve over the next three years. These came in the form of different gliders, both manned and unmanned. They also constantly studied different flight researchers such as Cayley, Langley and Otto Lilienthal. Extensive discussions were conducted with Octave Chanute, as the Wright Brothers continued to search for the solution to the critical issue of flight control.

Choosing Kitty Hawk, North Carolina as their test site for a physically comparative biplane glider that weighed 50 pounds, the Wright Brothers achieved their first breakthrough result from a piloted flight of any kind in 1900. The glider was the first piloted glider in history and featured a 17-foot wingspan with the brothers’ trademark wing-warping controls. Thereafter, they proceeded to work on the development of an even larger glider, but with more sophisticated controls and landing gear.

The result was a 100 pound glider with a 22-foot wingspan and landing skids, in 1901. Unfortunately, in flight tests conducted at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, the glider encountered numerous problems such as pitch control issues, flights that spun out of control and weak lifting capability.

Demoralized, but not disheartened, by the test results, the Wright Brothers continued to analyze their work. The root of the problem was traced to inaccurate design calculations. Using a wind tunnel to experiment with various wing designs, a brand new glider was created which had a strong foundation built on accurate workings of airfoil mechanisms. It included a tail for flight stabilization and measured 32 feet in its wingspan.

Another breakthrough followed the testing of this glider in 1902. The tests gave the brothers’ fresh insights on how an adjustable tail could add turning ability and balance to a flying object. These were confirmed through further wind tunnel experiments, which eventually morphed into the Wright Brothers’ first ever aircraft that was motor-powered, aptly named – the Flyer.

Using a movable track for the Flyer to build airspeed, Orville Wright made the first ever piloted flight in history in a powered aircraft, on December 17, 1903. This flight lasted all of 12 seconds, and came on only its second attempt. The Flyer II quickly followed into the record books on November 9, 1904, when Wilbur Wright flew it for more than five minutes.

Tragedy struck in 1908 as the first recorded flight fatality resulted in the death of a passenger ‘ Signal Corps Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge. The plane was manned by Orville Wright who miraculously survived the crash on September 17.

This, however, did not discourage the U.S. Government from their first purchase of a Wright Brothers biplane on July 30, 1909. Attaining speeds greater than 40 mph, the brothers received a $5,000 bonus on top of the $25,000 sale. This preceded the first machine gun propped airplane that took off from a College Park, Maryland airport in 1912. And the brothers’ association with the government continued, when on July 18, 1914, the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps was created and filled with airplanes bearing the Wright Brothers’ inventive hands and main rival, Glenn Curtiss.

Glenn Curtiss was the unfortunate loser in a heated patent suit brought against him by the Wright Brothers in the same year. His creations were borne from his idea of ailerons, which meant ‘little wing’ in French. While decidedly different compared to the Wright Brothers’ wing-warping controls, the U.S. Court ruled that they violated the Wright Brothers’ ownership over lateral controls in flight.

Over the next four years from 1909, the Wright Brothers’ creations continued to make their mark. The plane that acquired its name from a grape soda, Vin Fiz became the first aircraft to complete a fight across the United States over 84 days, but spent more time on the ground due to numerous crash landings. This 1911 incident perhaps encapsulated in a nutshell, the fascinating brilliance and sometimes oddity, of the Wright Brothers’ in the history of the airplane.

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The history of the airship was often filled with 2 main technical issues ‘ that of the combustible nature of its buoyancy agent, hydrogen, and its fragile structure. At the same time, they were essential in ensure the airship could float, travel light and maintain reasonable speeds, yet be able to withstand wind and rain.

Engineers sought to resolve these challenges by first resorting to helium as a hydrogen alternative. However, the natural supply and prohibitive cost in the 1920s hardly justified its commercial usage, which sometimes resulted in costs of $300,000 per airship. Despite measures taken by the government to alleviate this by 1925 where prices per cubic foot dropped to a penny, helium was still a costly substitute.

In comparison, being at the mercy of the elements, the structural nature of dirigibles created more problems between 1919 and 1937. The horrifying Hindenburg disaster put it all into perspective, even though the tragedy was traced to an explosion resulting from highly inflammable paint layered on the dirigible.

With the close of World War I, six Zeppelins, including the L49, were captured by the Allied Forces. They also featured the L72 which was constructed originally to bomb New York City. The Allied nations proceeded to duplicate the Germans’ dirigible blueprint in creating several record-breaking airships. They became so brazen that advice from German pilot Ernst Lehmann to establish landing bases to avoid airship accidents were ignored and ridiculed.

What followed was an incredible number of airships which met with untimely ends. The English ZR-2 had to be taken apart, resulting in wasted resources on the new Lakehurst, New Jersey hangar. Hypocrisy was also rampant, with the British refusing permission for the Germans to cross the Atlantic in their L72, but doing the same themselves in a copycat airship, the R-34.

In the midst of some high-profile dirigible accidents, the U.S. Navy Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics, Admiral William A. Moffet stubbornly supported airships and attempted to qualify its program and human casualties by learning through the mistakes of the ZR-2. Yet airship pilots were often taken to task to cover up for the lack of substantial answers from airship accidents.

Moffet continued to be in denial as high profile deaths such as Richard Byrd were narrowly avoided during the ZR-2 mishap, as was on the Roma when it was driven into high voltage lines by a sudden down-draft. More disasters followed as the C-2, then the largest airship in U.S. Army history, blew up while leaving its hangar on October 1922. A French maneuvered L-72, the Dixmude, was destroyed by harsh elements flying to Africa in 1923, and ended up wrecked in the Mediterranean.

Finally heeding Lehmann’s advice, the U.S. stopped short of destroying the Lake Constance and Friedrichshafen Zeppelin factories and hangars. The Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation was soon formed in 1923, to tap into German expertise and discovery of the alloy duralumin in the creation of new airships such as the U.S. ZR-1 and ZR-3 in 1924. These 2 dirigibles turned to helium as the buoyancy agent, although the still prohibitive cost of the element saw the airships sharing its use and alternated flights.

The ZR-1 Shenandoah flew across the western states in several test landings on moorings and airfields. The Los Angeles ZR-3 was to follow up with a promotion of commercial airship travel, but once again, it encountered technical issues and the Shenandoah took its place instead, when tragedy struck.

Zachary Lansdowne, then the Shenandoah’s commander, highlighted the ship’s shortcomings in dealing with the Midwest line squalls and thunderstorms but was ignored. On September 3, 1925, a storm struck down the dirigible in Ohio, which resulted in 14 deaths, including Lansdowne.

The survivors had landed safely whilst holding on for their lives on gas supplies they had earlier been tasked to retrieve. This sad incident forced Brigadier General Billy Mitchell to criticize the Navy’s airship program, and support for airships visibly dropped with the release of the disaster’s photos which garnered widespread public disgust and sympathy for its victims.

This did not deter the Naval Court of Inquiry from pronouncing a verdict which put the blame squarely on the shoulders of Lansdowne, based partly on statements under duress by Lieutenant Rosendahl (a survivor of the accident) from Moffett, and despite testimonials from Lansdowne’s widow that highlighted his misgivings. Following the incident, Congress proceeded to give the go-ahead for three new replacements for the Shenandoah. Ironically, only one, the ZMC-2, still remained in use come World War II, as airships began to fade into history’s pages as a viable flight tool of choice.

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When you realize that there are only 500 airfields in the U.S. offering scheduled passenger service, it is no wonder that personal and corporate flights have become an industry in itself. Whether it is the Learjet of a shipping magnate, media mogul with a partly owned Cessna Citation X or the tough talking politician in his Piper Navaho, business aircraft facilitates convenience and efficient travel to engage in and meet important business or personal appointments.

Business aircrafts come in all models, from the single-engine Cessnas and Pipers to twin light planes and the Learjets. Post-war development has equipped planes with the necessary radio communication and navigational capabilities to make round-the-clock, all season business flying a reality.

Business flying first came into being in the late 1920. Open-cockpit biplanes and Stinson, Fairchild and other enclosed cabin designs were employed, but it was the unique Beech planes that became early pacesetters on efficient private flying. The Beech Model 17 ‘Staggerwing’ from 1932 was a picture of luxury and comfort with leather and mohair fitted cabins that could seat 5 passengers. Its cousin, the Model 18 Twin Beech from 1937, was created for the purpose of economy business flying and could seat up to 9 passengers. Its popularity was established with a production line spanning 32 years and over 7,000 units manufactured.

The Grunman-built Gulfstream business aircraft line debuted in 1958 and was widely acknowledged as the ‘Rolls Royce’ of business flying, no doubt due in part to leveraging on its twin Rolls Royce Dart turboprop engines. The $1-million price tag of the Gulfstream I did not deter buyers and steadily established itself in the business aviation market, while a increased performance delivery came with the creation of the Gulfstream II in 1964.

And who could forget the Learjet ‘ William P. Lear Sr.’s innovation from 1963 that is now synonymous with all things business flying, an icon of luxurious business travel. The Learjet 23 was the first mass-produced and individually built and financed small jet aircraft, and was delivered by the Chemical and Industrial Corporation of Cincinnati, Ohio, on October 13, 1964. March 1966 saw the introduction of the higher performance Learjet 24 which would be the first business aircraft to fly round the world, within 4 days. Record breaking sales were established with the production of the Learjet 35/36 ‘ a modified Learjet 25 with stretched turbofans. The Learjet 36 saw a 1976 global goodwill trip piloted by world famous golfer Arnold Palmer.

The Piper PA-31 Navaho entered the business aviation market in 1964, staking its claim on the twin-engine quarters. It came in three versions that catered for various needs in seating capacity and arrangements, outfitted with user-friendly cabin features including the ability to carry luggage in the engine nacelles. The same year saw the unveiling of Beech’s Model 90 King Air, another twin-engine aircraft that could ferry eight passengers in comfort. As evidenced by its eventual 90 percent share of the market within its class, the King Air quickly became a mainstay for corporate flight departments.

Beech continued to innovate and produced the Beech Model 2000 Starship in 1983. The brainchild of Voyager creator Burt Rutan was a statement of innovative aircraft design with comparable speeds to small business jets, but the Starship flopped commercially. Too expensive at $5 million, only 53 Starships were produced.

Meanwhile, the Gulfstream III, Learjet 55 and Learjet 60, introduced over the years from 1979 to 1990, established winglets which greatly reduced drag and thus saving fuel. This resulted in increasing intercontinental flying ranges of 4,174 miles with the former and continues to see improvements today.

In between in 1985, the Gulfstream IV was released to the industry and immediately shook its foundations and grabbed it by the neck. Ferrying up to 19 passengers in luxurious interior fittings such as luscious sofas and oak furnishings, it was built with celebrities and business moguls in mind. The Gulfstream IV and IV-SP were the result of customized user requirements. Built at a cost of $24-million, it made possible cost-effective long distance flights of close to 7,223 miles, with lengthier fuselage and less moving parts on its wings. To add to its legend, Gulfstream chairman Allen Paulson sensationally broke and established countless flight records whilst flying across the world, such as clocking in 8.5 hours faster than the Boeing 747SP jumbo jet for a trip around the world in January 1988 that lasted under 37 hours.

Beech continued to establishing itself as a source of cost-effective and reliable business aircrafts above the turboprop aircraft market via its Model 400/400A Beechjet, with the acquisition of the Mitsubishi Diamond production rights. Their competitor Cessna also made its mark with the Citation X, as it became recognized as a speedy production aircraft, clocking speeds of Mach 0.92.

Prices of business aircrafts continue to escalate while striving to satisfy ever-changing market demands for comfort and speed. Compared to a Beech Staggerwing which cost only $15,000 in 1932, $30-million is the asking price of many a business jets today. However, there is no visible lack of demand despite prohibitive costs, as in any business ‘ where there is demand, the sales will come.

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Remember pilots pictured with silk scarves fluttering in the wind, flying their vintage airplanes on adventures to dangerous corners of the world, saving people? ‘Busy flying’ might be legendary in its illustration, but it is very much alive and true in its representation.

One of the last visages of pre-modern aviation, bush flyers are a precious commodity in Canada, Australia, Alaska and the jungles of South America and Africa, providing isolated communities with supplies of food and medicine, and communication with the outside world. Not only do their planes have to be adaptable to the tough and changing terrains and seasons in each country through periodic mechanical changes, bush pilots have to brave the same harsh elements, lack of work safety quotient and uncertain financial rewards.

The challenging life of a bush pilot was perhaps best summed up by C.H. ‘Punch’ Dickins, a veteran Canadian bush pilot, as, ‘a pilot and mechanic, who is ready and willing to take any kind of a load to any destination, on or off the map, within the limits of their aircraft, and the financial resources of the customer.’

Bush flying became a popular post-war option for the bravest and thrill-seeking veteran American and Canadian military pilots as they sought an income from their technical abilities. However, only those who could handle and maintain their aircrafts would become fixtures on the bush flying circuit, despite the relatively low barrier to entry in obtaining low cost aircrafts for use like the Curtiss JN-4 Jennys and HS-2L flying boats. Imagine a situation where a bush pilot were to be stranded in uninhabited regions such as the Artic tundra or empty desert with its relentless heat. Plane repair abilities would be of life-saving importance and many modern bush flights include flight engineers.

In October 1920, a fur buyer requested the Canadian Aircraft in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to fly him home to The Pas, in one of the first documented paid bush flight. The journey included harrowing flights over swirling lakes, thick jungle bushes and deep swamps and bogs, before becoming the first plane to touch ground on the final destination.

This opened up the possibilities of exploring uncharted global territories such as the Artic regions. It also presented greater markets for bush pilots, including oil exploration in the Artic Circle, mine claims, forest fire patrols, timberland and waterway aerial mapping. Bush flying extended the reach of airmail service to isolated regions and provided medical transport for the same workers and hunters.

These developments called for better and more reliable aircrafts for bush flying, in order to push the commercial viability of bush flying. The result was the 1926 creation from the Atlantic Aircraft Corporation, of a markedly improved and safer single-seat high-cabin monoplane known as the German Fokker Universal. The steady plane with strong wooden wings and a tough steel tube fuselage consisted of a revolutionary shock absorber that allowed landing on uneven terrains and simultaneous floating or skiing capabilities. On a plane driven by the Pratt & Whitney radial engine, a bush pilot would fly in an open cockpit with passengers or cargo stored in cabins built under the aircraft’s wings.

From 1926 to 1931, over half of the 44 Fokker Universals made in the U.S. were used by bush pilots, preceding wide-spread usage by U.S., Canadian and foreign airlines.

November 12, 1935, witnessed the first flight of the reliable Noorduyn Norseman from Canada, created specifically for bush flying. The aircraft facilitated long-distance flights and delivery of fuel to isolated regions with cargo room designed to accommodate an industry standard 45-gallon fuel drum and up to ten passengers. Convenience was also a key feature with pilots having ease of cockpit entry and exit without having to climb over cargo. To date, many of the 900 manufactured Noorduyn Norseman are still being flown.

Today, using aircrafts such as the Beech Staggerwings and Bonanzas and even helicopters, bush flying now includes flying big game hunters, nature photographers and archaeologists to exotic locations, on top of the now common flights to remote settlements for supply deliveries. The sturdy and versatile de Havilland Beaver is a huge favorite of bush pilots, with its adaptability in skis, floats and wheels usage.

The dangers that bush pilots brave have made them a no-no for insurance companies. However, it is the same dangers that so attract bush pilots to take up the challenge of venturing into the unknown. In bush flying, what you do not know may kill you, but what you may find certainly enriches and brings excitement to your life.

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All eyes below are fixated to the antique World War II as Stearman falls from above, the downward spiral towards disaster. The vintage biplane fell faster and faster still, the growl of its powerful motor grows louder. The pilot was obviously doomed looses control and almost crashed when suddenly, a few inches from the tarmac, the Stearman roared into the blue sky to the cheering crowd below. This is the exciting world of acrobatic flight!

Aerobatic flight, a special area of aviation, is defined as “precise maneuvering in the three-dimensional space.” Maneuvering is broken into three components – position, speed and the altitude. A manual aerobatic plane’s position is to be precisely controlled in all three axes (yaw, roll and pitch) and could quickly be shifted to any of the other positions.

Lincoln Beachey has been widely recognized to be the “father” aerobatic flight, even if none other than the Wright Brothers as a first step dismissed his exploits as mere “optical illusions.” All these skeptics were changed during a now legendary-multi-city tour Barnstorming during 1914 when Beachey, then known as “the crazy flyer”, dazzled crowds all over the country waterfalls at the wheel of his aircraft, Little Looper. Lighting like Thomas Edison or even Carl Sandburg also became aerobatics fans and even the Wright Brothers recanted his original comment, saying Beachey’s exhibitions such as poetry.

Evolving from the air at the beginning of the race and had military training, these first aerobatic planes are generally oversized but short. These factors produced a performance aerobatic rather dull (today’s standards) for handling aircraft was slow and the ability to mount vertically was challenged.

Despite the improvements of equipment that allows flight capacity reversed (such as improved wings, oil and fuel systems), even the best aerobatic aircraft can not fly for long periods in attitudes abnormal flight. The engine speed and wash from the spinning propeller as a result of an airplane react differently when maneuvered going right than when going to the left of aerobatics-forcing the pilot to learn from their maneuvers in both direction. These limitations are as that no aerodynamic aerobatic plane produced can effectively fight on the side of the claim of the glowing “knife edge” rises or turns notwithstanding.

Strong aerobatic biplanes, Gulfhawk II, aroused much enthusiasm on the air circuit in 1936 until 1948, performing in the World’s Fair, Cleveland Air Race, and All-America’s Miami Air Shows. Originally designed by Grumman, Gulfhawk II has been specially designed to support under the high structure stress aerobatic flight and then changed to support upside-down flying for periods of no more than 30 minutes.

The face of aerobatic flight was changed forever around 1945; Curtis Pitts made the first airplane designed specifically for aerobatics, the Pitts’ Special S-1. Pitts had envisioned an aircraft that would defy gravity and meet its controls, on a smaller plane that war era biplane, which could roll, climb, and maneuver quickly. Pitts has dismissed the concept of big radial engines and designed a sweep-winged aircraft powered by a small, light, horizontally opposed motor with the centre of gravity that made it possible to snap tight

Line Pitts aerobatic aircraft-small (with only 17 feet (5 meters) wingspan), light and very agile with great power-weight-soon dominated aerobatics challenges. The more famous of the Pitts planes, a hand-crafted S-1C known as Little Stinker, flown by another pioneer of aerobatics, Betty Skelton, who did win her first wife’s International Aerobatic Championship at the age of 23 and she won again the next year. At that time there were few women that were aerobatic pilots.

A Dictionary of acrobatic flight, first published in 1961, all securities listed aerobatic maneuver and definition of the position at that time, 3000 in all. Today, that list has grown to more than 15000 maneuvers that the pilots test the capabilities of their aircraft. This shows that the aerobatic maneuvers conform to the natural evolution of the leak that occurred in the course of history – which the planes continue to improve the capabilities; skilled pilots learn to exploit these improvements.

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Orville and Wilbur Wright, by June 1903, have completed the design and construction of their power machine. The Flyer’s wingspan was just over 40 feet, over an area of 510 square feet and weighed 625 pounds. The brothers built as much as they could in Dayton, Ohio, and then shipped the rest to Kitty Hawk, NC for the final assembly.

The brothers departed for Kitty Hawk, NC on Sept. 23rd and arrived at Kill Devil Hill, 2 days later. While they were waiting for the shipment, they repaired the hangar and construct a new shop. After the shipment was delivered, the Wrights took 3 weeks to construct the Flyer. Everything they did, they practiced gliding using the 1902 glider, gliding longer hours and increasing the control the glider.

Weather that day was cold and stormy-horrible. They had been working on assembly and had the Flyer completed early in November. November 5, the brothers tested the engine. The result was not pleasing. The motor almost did not work as had been expected. Its excess vibration damaged shafts, which was shipped to Dayton for repairs.

They tested the motor again on November 28. Again they had issues with a crack in the propeller shaft. Orville returned to Dayton, to construct new shafts of spring steel firm.

On December 12 the Flyer is ready for the flight, but the wind was too light for takeoff. They did not want a flight on Sunday; because they told their father they would never fly on the Sundays. Their first attempt at powered flight would be on Monday, Dec. 14.

They threw a coin to choose who would be the pilot. Wilbur won and climbed onto the Flyer. After a difficult start, it began to scoot down the rails, and then began to rise from its path. Wilbur misjudged and turned up too early, without realizing the efficiency of the rise. The Flyer rose slightly, stalled, and then came to rest near the foothills. The machine had slight damage. Nevertheless, the Flyer had flown off of the ground under its own power, which was a hopeful start. Both the brothers were positive that the machine would fly.

The repairs took a couple of days, and the flyer was ready again late December 16. Dawn of December 17 had a stout wind blowing in from the northeast and rain pounding down. The brothers had to wait till 10am, hoping the winds would die a little. When it didn’t, they chose to continue anyway. They sent signals to the rescue station to come help them carry their Flyer area top of the hill.

It was now Orville’s time to fly; he climbed up into the Flyer. It rose rapidly once they had estimated the power of the rise. For the first time, a motorized flying machine took off from the ground; it traveled under the control of its pilot.

Not pleased, the brothers wanted to again try. They had to repair the runners’ cracks, and at nearly 11:20, Wilbur then made the second flight travel nearly 175 feet.

With the assistance of the rescue crew, they then carried the Flyer to its original starting point and again tried. Orville made their third flight, twenty minutes later, and landed nearly 200 feet from its start point.

The fourth attempt began at almost noon; Wilbur was at the controls. The flight started like any other-with the Flyer pitching upwards and downwards. After about 300 feet, Wilbur regained control and began to travel on the same secure course. It proceeded in this manner until he had gotten about 800 feet. Then, the new Flyer began to buck and suddenly dove into the ground. The front was badly damaged, but the body was intact. He had traveled close to 852 feet in about 59 seconds.

After lunch, the two brothers contacted their father, “Successful four flights Thursday morning with average speed through the air of thirty one miles”.

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