In our second unit 'A Golden Age' we will be exploring developments in aviation between in the 1920s and 1930s. During this era aviation became wildly popular through barnstorming and efforts to set new distance, altitude, and speed records. Taking a ride with a barnstormer who stopped in a field outside your hometown, reading about the latest record-breaking flight in the papers, or even taking a commercial flight brought the excitement of aviation to virtually everyone. This era also saw the rise of an American aviation industry and the growth of a viable commercial flight industry through aircraft like the Douglas DC-3. We will explore these topics in Unit 2.
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
Analyze how Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight impacted American society and the American aircraft industry.
Identify and describe trends in materials development, aircraft design, and instrument research that helped to advance the aircraft industry during the 1920s and 1930s.
Compare and contrast experiences and opportunities for male, female, and African American pilots.
The syllabus breaks down the readings and assignments due each week of the unit. You will find that mirrored below, along with the specific links for the "course modules" listed in the syllabus. I encourage you to review these modules first, as they provide some context and structure to help you understand the specifics addressed in the readings.
Wings pp. 195-259
Wings pp. 260-339
Technology: The Cockpit module
Charles Lindbergh module
Wings pp. 340-94
Early Commercial Aviation module
Remember to go to our course in Blackboard to submit all of your assignments for this course.
Discussion and replies (9/23)