| It might be said that modern aviation began on | | | | technological spurt in aviation. By the end of the war, |
| November 21, 1783 in France when two brothers | | | | we had large bombers and jet aircraft as well as |
| went aloft in a hot air balloon. The true beginning of | | | | rocket power. In the years after the war commercial |
| the era is usually considered to be December 17, | | | | airliners expanded rapidly connecting the entire world. |
| 1903 when the Wright Brothers flew the first heavier | | | | The introduction of the Space Shuttle opened the |
| than air powered plane a few hundred feet off a | | | | idea of space as aviation's next frontier. |
| sand dune at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. This first | | | | Another area in which aviation has expanded recently |
| plane could not fly much further because it was | | | | is the area of personal aircraft. Pilot training has |
| almost impossible to control it. In the next decade | | | | become available in small airports that provide the |
| the wide spread use of ailerons made aircraft | | | | aviation supplies needed to service small personal |
| manageable and by the outbreak of World War I, | | | | aircraft. In addition to pilot training, the small airports |
| aircraft had developed enough for the famous | | | | sell pilot supplies and aircraft supplies such as the new |
| dogfights that took place during that war. | | | | models of David Clark headsets that provide |
| Although aircraft had come a long way during this | | | | communication while providing ear protection. It is |
| time, they were not large enough to carry freight or | | | | possible to have your own plane kept in hangers in |
| passengers. A type of lighter than air craft called a | | | | these small airports, or even to rent planes there. |
| dirigible was considered more practical for that | | | | In the coming years, aviation is expanding in two |
| purpose, and was seen as the future of aviation. By | | | | different directions. The first push is out into space, |
| the mid 1930's, the Douglas DC-3 was introduced and | | | | but the second area of expansion is the area of |
| became the first practical airliner. At the end of the | | | | personal aircraft. In the years to come, it is possible |
| same decade, the Hindenburg Disaster ended the age | | | | that the day will arrive when a private aircraft is |
| of the dirigible. | | | | about as common as a privately owned motor |
| Once again, it was a war that boosted the aviation | | | | vehicle and the globe will shrink a little more as more |
| age. World War II was a spur to a tremendous | | | | and more people take to the air. |