Wings Reading Assignment # 1

By Joseph Bradley-Hutchison

1. What impact did flight have on life in the twentieth century?

Up until the first flight of the Wright Brothers the thought of anything other than a bird flying was simply a fairy tale, but as soon as the Wrights were showcasing their new plane the world saw the myth of man flying transform itself into a reality.  Such people as Gutzon Borglum, who was a talented artist responsible for the carving of Mt. Rushmore, stated that men “should do everything,” but was amazed when he saw men taking flight on September 10, 1908.  The French newspapers were ecstatic when they viewed Wilbur Wright giving a demonstration, and described Wilbur’s plane as a “mechanical bird.”  The London Times furthered the reputation of the Wrights by stating that they have made their place within the history of “flying machines.”  Finally Borglum also stated after he witnessed Orville Wright 59 circles around a field and breaking his own record that, “One is amazed that human kind has not built it before.”  Borglum also remarked that it was not exactly a bird, but something uniquely man made.  There was life within the plane, and power behind what it stood for (Crouch, 1-4, 6-7).

The impact that flying technology had on people of the 20^th century was one of dreams, of inspiration, and overall, of great satisfaction that now flight was no longer a impossibility for the human kind.  It further affected communication between people from all over the word by speeding up travel, and made it faster to provide international aid to countries suffering from large-scale famine, disease, and natural disasters.  It also made globalization a stronger force by opening up vast amounts study, settlement, and economic exploration (Crouch, 11).  Therefore, the impact of flight in the 20^th century was of tremendous magnitude because it simply did not amaze the world and end, but continued to progress along with new technology and innovation that will change how we fight wars, travel the world, and further expand the human race’s potential to let no boundaries stop them from reaching the stars.

2. Why did it take so long for man to realize the dream of flight?

The potential to fly was always a possibility for early civilizations, but the process of creating a plane was an evolutionary process.  The first machine of any sort that took men from the ground was the balloon.  In a sense this was the first machine that allowed men to fly, but would have little control compared to other animals adapted to flying.  The physics and chemistry innovations of the 17^th and 18^th centuries had laid down the foundations for the flight of balloons, and made possible the idea of men flying with ease.  The idea of building wings upon a flying machine, however, was outrageous and simply impossible by early inventors.  By 1870, a new toy was being invented called the hélicoptére, which caught the eyes of two young boys from Dayton, Ohio.  This toy held the record for the highest propeller-driven-flight, and ascended to a height of 50 ft and remained in the air for as long as 26 seconds (Crouch, 21, 24,26). 

The question still remains then why did it take so long for man to realize the dream of flight?  The answer to this question is simply because it was impracticable, and defied all logic.  Many attempts were made, but most failed to show any sign of prolonged flight.  The 19^th century brought new inventors, along with new ideas to improve upon the inventions of the past.  In other words, it was a evolutionary process of trial and error before the engineering and construction of a successful plane was possible.  If the philosophers and scientists of the past did not make the innovations to aerodynamics, then the Wright Brothers would of had nothing to base their invention off of and possible would of failed (Crouch, 28).  Thus, a further thinker or thinkers would have to take from the errors of the past, and make the possibility of flight a reality. 

3. When did the era of modern aviation begin and why?

Although the late 19^th century saw great innovations in the field of aviation, it was not until the early 20^th century when the Wright Brothers shocked the world with their plane that the era of modern aviation took the form of not just scientific inventions, but through art and culture as well.  For the 20^th century the airplane “embodied our notions of modernity,” and carried the human “us into the future.”  The planes that emerged from the First World War had inspired such modernist painters as Henri Rousseau to Cubists painters such as Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso in their artwork.  Aviation also inspired industrial designers of the 20^th century as well that included such modernist architects like Le Corbusier to the first generation of industrial designers of the 20^th century.  The airplane inspired a style that reflected a sleek and elegant design to wings, which was applied to most machine technology such as locomotives, automobiles, furnishings, and even household appliances.  The pilots of these great man-made birds of the sky further gave inspiration to nations from all over the world during the two Great Wars to the post-war aviators, and finally to the astronauts who went further than any man has gone before (Crouch, 12).

Before the 20^th century airplanes were only imagined by nations around the world, but by the First Great War they started to become a necessity for any nations that wished to survive the rapidly changing times (Crouch, 13).  It made transportation quicker and easier, it allowed for faster communication, and overall, it served as a symbol of man’s ability to make great strides in technology.  Much literature, artwork, and culture began to surround aviation because of its symbol of advancing technology.  It further inspired men to go farther than just the blue skies, and gave inspiration to all that there are truly no boundaries that men cannot leap over. Therefore, as soon as the world picked up on the Wright Brothers design early in the 20^th century was when a new culture emerged that centered on these great inventions, and the pilots that flew them.