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The Birth of Commercial Aviation Timeline from 1918 - 1930
The Birth of Commercial Aviation Timeline from 1918 - 1930
1918
Influx of “Well Trained” pilots returning to the US.
There is a huge surplus of planes after the war that were sold at low cost.
The USPS started using planes to deliver airmail:
These early mail planes had no reliable instruments, radios, or other navigational aids. Pilots navigated using landmarks and dead reckoning. Forced landings occurred frequently due to bad weather, but fatalities in the early months were rare, largely because of the planes’ small size, maneuverability, and slow landing speed.
1919
The first flight across the Atlantic.
The league of nations is established.
Treaty of Versailles signed.
Passenger service begins across English Channel.
KLM begins operation making it the oldest carrier in the world: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, was created by Albert Plesman, making it the oldest airline in the world still operating though the company once stopped operating during the Second World War.
1920
The National Air Races begin:
Air racing and barnstorming was significant in aircraft development.
Planes got more advanced in their wing, propeller, and fuselage design.
The two major events of the National Air Races were the Thompson Trophy closed-course race and the Bendix Trophy transcontinental race. A new generation of daredevil pilots made air racing and speed, an increasingly popular aspect of American culture.
1921
Bessie Coleman, The first Black Female gets her pilot's license
“Bessie Coleman was an American aviator and the first black woman to earn a pilot's license. Because flying schools in the United States denied her entry, she taught herself French and moved to France, earning her license from France's well-known Caudron Brother's School of Aviation in just seven months. Coleman specialized in stunt flying and parachuting, earning a living barnstorming and performing aerial tricks. She remains a pioneer of women in the field of aviation.”
1922
The USS Langley is put into service:
The first American aircraft carrier, the USS Langley was the scene of several firsts in US naval aviation. On 17 October 1922, the first plane launched from her decks. This launching was very important to the modern US Navy.
1923
First nonstop transcontinental flight:
Oakley G. Kelly, made the first nonstop transcontinental flight on May 2, of 1923 in a T-2. He took off from Roosevelt Field, Long Island, and landed at Rockwell Field, San Diego.
1924
First around the world flight:
First Flight Around the World. Eight U.S. Army Air Service pilots and mechanics in four airplanes left Seattle, Washington, to carry out the first flight around the globe by air. They completed the stunt in 175 days, after making 74 stops and covering about 27,550 miles.
1925
The first lightweight, aircooled engines:
"Unlike stationary aircraft engines, in which a turning crankshaft drives the propeller, in rotaries the whole engine spins around a stationary crankshaft. Rotary engines were for a time the best. By some estimates, they powered as many as 80 percent of WWI aircraft."
https://www.historynet.com/the-truth-about-rotaries.htm
1926
Congress passed the Air Commerce Act, May 20, 1926.
“The Air Commerce Act established federal regulations regarding aircraft, airmen, navigational facilities and the establishment of air traffic regulations. Aircraft were required to be inspected for airworthiness, and were required to have markings placed on the outside of the aircraft for identification. Airmen were required to be tested for aeronautical knowledge and required to have a physical completed to insure their physical fitness.
http://avstop.com/history/needregulations/act1926.htm1927
Charles Lindbergh
Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, on May 20, 1927. Spirit of St Louis, he crossed the Atlantic Ocean. Lindbergh landed at Le Bourguet Field near Paris after 33.5 hours in the air. During his groundbreaking trip, he had traveled more than 3,600 miles. Upon his arrival, Lindbergh was welcomed by more than 100,000 people who came to see aviation history in the making.
1928
The first flight simulator was made:
The first flight simulation device was the Link Trainer, produced in Binghamton, New York in 1928. “The Blue Box” was first available for sale in 1929.
1929
Pan Am was created:
Pan American Airways, known as Pan Am, was the first and largest international commercial carrier of the United States. It was founded in 1927 as a scheduled air mail and passenger service operating between Key West, Florida, and Havana, Cuba.
Sources:
How Air Travel has Changed in Every Decade from the 1920s. (n.d.) Love Exploring
The Birth of Commercial Aviation (2014, December 12) The Birth of Aviation
http://www.birthofaviation.org/birth-of-commercial-aviation/
The Pioneering Years: Commercial Aviation 1920 – 1930 (n.d.) Centennial of Flight
https://www.centennialofflight.net/essay/Commercial_Aviation/1920s/Tran1.htm
Clark, Joseph. (2012) Flying in the 1920s. Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research
https://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1405&context=jaaer
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