Beacon Introduction

The years between the two World Wars (1919-1939) were filled with excitement, great achievements, and numerous advancements in aeronautics. Thousands of new aircraft were designed, flown, and in some cases crashed in an effort to further aeronautical excellence. It was a time of daring young men and women who braved the elements to prove the airworthiness of new aircraft, who proved that aircraft could and would provide a safe and reliable means of travel. Great strides were made towards faster and safer aircraft. Range, height, and carrying capacities were pushed further and further with each new year and design. It was a time that witnessed the birth of commercial aviation, air racing, and barnstorming, and aerial exploration. And, it was a time of painful lessons. The sacrifices of those fliers who lost their lives in the search for excellence have inspired countless pilots and aviation enthusiasts after them.

Just after the war, two British fliers Alcock & Brown, accomplished the impossible when they successfuly crossed the Atlantic ocean by air (an 1,800 mile flight) in their Vickers Vimy. This event sparked a rash of daredevils, and adventurous fliers to do them "one better". Only two months after Alcock & Brown accomplished their flight, two other British pilots set off on an even more remarkable journey six times the distance when they flew from London to Australia; a journey of 11,000 miles. In the course of their long-distance, record-setting flight they endured harrowing landings, were forced to conduct dangerous in-flight repairs, and flew exhausting numbers of hours, before finally reaching Australia 28 days later. Their accomplishment along with those of Alcock & Brown, and the many other brave adventurers first sparked people's interest in serious aviation and set the world on a course from which many interesting stories, adventures, and advancements have come down to us today. They were the breed of fliers representative of that age in aviation history affectionately known as the "Golden Age".

Yet, despite their amazing feat it would be a decade or more before such flights could be accomplished with any reliability and regularity, and an even longer period before it became commonplace.

Soon after the war all the major European countries established airlines. Within a few years an exstensive network of air routes linked between the capitol cities, as well as smaller cities stretching across Europe, were operating on a regualar basis. The most popular route was between Paris and London. The 200-mile flight afforded passengers scenic views of countryside, coastlines, and aerial views of two of the most beautiful & famous cities on the continent. The flight lasted 2-4 hours, but those hours were enough to awaken many hearts to the vast possibilities of flight. Flying boats were employed along many coastal areas further expanding the scope of flying opportunities. This was especially tru with the French and Italian airlines who also were leaders in extending the reach of air travel by offering flights across the Mediterranean, to Africa and the Middle East. and across the Atlantic to South America.

All of these activities gave rise to ever faster and more powerful airplanes. Open cockpit bi-planes soon gave gave way to more comfortable enclosed enclosed-cabin multi-engine monoplanes which could carry more passengers safely to their destinations.

In the United States however, interest in aviation waned after the war. Unlike Europeans, Americans found little use for the "flimsy contraptions" they saw being barnstormed on summer afternoons across the country. And besides, most of the major cities were located at much greater distances from each other than were those in Europe. In addition, the vast majority of people still lived along the seaboards, but there were also larger cities across the nation which also would need access. The distances, and other obstacles (such as the Allegheny & Rockie Mountains in particular), were than what most airplanes of the day could tackle.

One area that did witness advances was airmail service. Starting in 1918, the U.S. government contracted with newly-formed companies to fly the mail bewteen cities in hop skotch fashion. It also established a transcontinetal route between New York and San Francisco (later this was lighted with beacons allowing nightitme operations). It was these early CAM (consolidate airmail routes) which formed the groundwork for passenger airlines in the U.S. In 1925, the U.S. Congress passed the Kelly Act which allowed passengers to ride along with mail. This in turn led to the development of larger planes in the United States (as it had in Europe), and the construction of new airports at major urban centers acroos the nation. Companies such as Boeing, Douglas and others, most of whom were originally formed as contract mail carriers, became well-known names in aircraft design and development. Most of the major U.S. Airlines can trace their origins to the mid-1920's and the Kelly Act.

After Lindbergh's famous flight in May 1927, the idea of air travel took on a more glamorous notion, and many who previously considered flying a rsiky and oftentimes foolhardy venture, suddenly found themselves looking for airlines to carry them to their destinations. Air travel became all the rage. To be sure, flying was still for only for the wealthy, elite, and the important business man, yet popular interest interest grew at a powerful pace as the 30's progressed. Pilots like Lindbergh were worshipped as heros, and many a youngster longed to earn his own wings and with them explore the vast regions of the air.

The latter years of the twenties and all through the thirties was an era of active aerial exploration. The vast unexplored expanses of deepest Africa, South America, Australia, and the Asian continents all were mapped and charted from the air. In Brazil, an aerial prospector named Jimmy Angel, accidentally discovered the world's highest waterfall (later named in his honor). Richard Byrd, an American naval officer,made headlines when he conquered both the arctic and antarctic by air while flying his Ford trimotor, arguably one of the best-known airlanes from the period. An interesting footnote to this event-recent evidence has shown he "faked" his diaries, he actually fell short of actually reaching the North Pole, his ultimate goal. But, at the time his accomplishments were heralded as one of man's greatest achievements (comparable to Neil Armstrong's landing on the moon in recent times).

Airplanes were not the only means by which man was travelling the skies during the Golden Age, airships too plyed overhead. Hugo Eckener and his Zeppelins performed spectacular flights demonstrating the reliability and advantages to travelling long distances by airship. In 1929 he took his Graf Zeppelin on a media-covered flight around the world visiting numerous nations and receiving adulations and excited throngs wherever he landed. His belief in airship travel was soon rewarded with a successful regular schedule of flights from Europe to the United States and Brazil. It was only with the Hindenburg disaster in 1937 that interest in airship travel waned.

At the same time that airships were carrying passengers back & forth across the Atlantic, companies such as Dornier in Europe, and Boeing in the United States were developing huge seaplanes capable of carry much larger numbers of people in saftey and comfort on long over water flights. In 1931 the world's largest airplane flew on a public relations trip form Lake Constance to New York City. The Dornier X flying boat could carry 100+ passengers in splendid accommodations. Unfortunately the technology of the times was not really up to the task. The flight took nine months to complete! Needless to say the plane was not a success. But it did prove that larger, multi-engined aircraft were feasable. A point of proven by Boeing who built the giant Model 314, operated by Pan American Airways, which carried passengers at the end of the 30's across the Pacific Ocean.


Dornier X	Boeing 314

Despite a worldwide depression, aviation in the 1930's enjoyed an ever expanding horizon.

One last area of aviation which deserves mention, and perhaps one of the the most important events, so far as development of engines is concerned is the air racing phenomenom. As far back as 1909 and the famous gathering of the pioneer aviators at Rheims, France for the international air meet, the air race has promoted developments in faster & more powerful engines. Throughout the 1920's the most famous and important annaul event in aviation was the Schneider Trophy race. This event was designed to encourage seaplane developments, and its outcome was a source of tremendous national pride for the victors. The race was run annualy until 1931 when it was cancelled after having been won three times by the British who received permanent possession of the trophy. Air races were held in mnay countries. Some were locally known and sponsored while others offered national & international attention and famed. Almost all offered monetary prizes.

The most famous of all the events from the late twenties until 1939 was the U.S. National Air Races. These were spectacular affairs which drew vast crowds of spectators (indeed the Nationals with their mile-long grandstands were "The" spectator sport prior to World War II). The excitement of racing planes hurtling around pylons barely fifty feet above the ground (and the spectators' heads) over closed courses was something few aviation enthusiasts or the general public wanted to miss! Names like Doolittle, Roscoe Turner, and Gee Bee were banted about the dinner tables and boardroom tables alike.

All of these exciting events, and more much more, occurred during the period known to aviation historians as the Golden Age. I hope this introduction has given you some sense of the drama, and thrill of the most dynamic and exciting period in aviation history. This web page is dedicated to all those great men and women whose sacrifice and hard work provided later generations with colorful stories to read, and beautiful aircraft to admire. On the following pages you will find a collection of articles, facts & figures, photos, charts, and maps and other interesting things that hopefully will help to bring the Golden Age of aviation to life more fully. In addition, the you will find simulated aircraft models, panels and scenery created by some of the best talents in the flightsim world today that may be used with Microsoft's Flight Simulator programs to recreate aviation's Golden Age on your computer. I hope you enjoy your visit here at The Beacon, and that you will come back often.