Aeronautical Advances
They began flying with the very basics, piano wire and fabric wings, and ended up creating an entirely new science--aeronautics. Along the way they managed to develop increasingly more powerful engines, more elaborate flight instruments, and a host of other lifesaving and flight-improving devices which forever changed the way man would look at travel.
They also perfected navigation, and pilotage, and developed inflight communications and eventually a system of air traffic control along with a host of other advances which are now taken for granted by pilots flying in today's busy and crowded skies. But, back then........
This section will provide information on some of the most interesting developments in aeronautics which occured during the golden age.
Research and Development
Early developments in aviation were driven by a select number of private and government funded agencies and research centers. In Europe and in the U.S. these agencies were established to conduct research and undertake development of a wide range of aeronautical interests. The following pages present discussions of various methods and devices used in flight instruction during the Golden Age:
The Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce
Early flight instruction usually consisted of some discussion of flying technique followed by a flight or two with an instructor before the hapless student took to the sky -- alone! Unfortunately, this method of learning could be harmful, or even fatal, to the new pilot. By the 1930s flight instruction methods had significantly improved. The following pages present discussions of various methods and devices used in flight instruction during the Golden Age:
Without some place to land airplanes are only so useful. The years between 1919 and 1939 witnessed numerous developments related to airfields and airports. From the first grass fields, airports developed into larger and larger hard-surface and complex entities; with cities vying with each other for the honor of having the "first" in airfield developments. The first control tower, the first concrete runways, etc. There were many challenges along the way which required new engineering ideas and concepts to be developed. And before the airport took dominance there was the interest in the flying boat and its associated seaplane bases. The work in developing airfields and airports became ever more important as airlines and airliners grew in size and importance. The information presented here offers insight into the development airfields and airports:
The introduction of scheduled airmail routes and airlines operating cross-country soon fostered established airways. These routes were laid out and surveyed in the early 1920's with subsequent improvements including lighted beacons and radio-range stations being added over time. The work in developing these facilities led to later developments of instrument landing systems at the end of the era. The information presented here offers insight into the use of airways and radio beacon facilities from authentic articles and reports of the day:
Before radios came into aeronautical use around 1929, pilots relied almost exclusively on publications to provide accurate and up-to-date information on both airfields (there were very few "airports" until the mid 1930's), and air routes. Prior to undertaking any aerial journey pilots would refer to these published sources for such information as airfield conditions, route hazards, and availability of airfields at or near their goal. Various branches of the United States government started publishing airfield information as early as 1918. Over sucessive years these publications became increasingly more reliable and eventually led to the modern publications used by pilots today. This information will provide a closer look at these important sources:
Radios came into general aeronautical use around 1929, although they had been employed with limited success as early as the First World War. The first radios were heavy, bulky and limited in range. Early radios were also limited to using dash-dot morse code signals only. But, by the late 1920's radio sets had been improved. Developments which allowed voice communications were introduced, and the sets themselves became smaller. Advances were also introduced which allowed pilots to orient themselves along routes and airways by tuning into radio stations for flight information. Eventually, just prior to World War II, radios and radio stations were employed in early experiments with auto-landing systems. All of these advances occurred in a relatively short period of time and contributed to the development of air travel and military might. The information presented here offers insight into the use of radios in aircraft as taken from authentic articles and reports of the day:
From the primative panels of the barnstorming years to the sophisticated navigation and autopilot instruments of the late 1930's airliners, the cockpits of the golden age became ever increasingly more complicated. The early days of seat-of-the-pants flying using a simple string-and-weight arrangement to measure airspeed gave way to instruments which permitted pilots to navigate in adverse weather conditions safely. Following railroads for cross-country flights, as was done during the heyday of the airmail years, was eventually replaced with sophisticated airway radio beacons and the corresponding instruments which required more space in the cockpit and demanded more of a pilot's time. The many inovations and advances in instruments which occured during these years provided the foundations of modern air travel and safety in flight. The information presented here offers insight into the development of the instruments and instrument flight which were introduced between 1919 and 1939:
The development of air traffic control dates back to the International Commission for Air Navigation and it's "General Rules for Air Navigation" published October 13, 1919. This document laid out a number of guidelines for air navigation among air-minded nations. Many of these regulations were later adopted by the United States government agency on air transportation in 1926. The early history of air traffic control (1920's-1939) can be divided into two distinct divisions. It was not until World War II that combined federal air traffic control of both the airways and the airports was established. The following pages present discussions of the early developments of ATC:
Numerous areas in aircraft design and manufacturing furthered the development of aviation. Advances in metals, structural design, engines, airframes and more all played significant roles in furthering aviation. The following pages present discussions of some of the most significant advances in aircraft design during the Golden Age:
The development of aviation often involves things that do not easily fall into the categories above, so I've added this section to cover the miscellaneous matters I've discovered in my research.
See another area I should cover?...email me....
2003 Wings Publishing
