wings #3

What role did Henry Ford and other businessmen play in the development of the aviation industry? The role of businessmen like Henry Ford and Fokker moved society’s use of aviation and flight from mostly government use to commercial use. The government use was based on federal funding. This meant that the government was paying certain companies and pilots to fly mail from location to location. It also meant that the military were being given budgets for the purchase of airplanes to use in transporting soldiers, weapons and bombs. Henry Ford saw the opportunity to put planes to a more commercial use. He set out to establish regular commercial flights between Detroit and Chicago. In order to do this, bought Stout Metal Aircraft Company and set up an airport complete with modern amenities, such as a hotel and restaurant. Fokker also contributed to the commercial movement by making airplane models that could travel farther without stopping. These models made news frequently, with news of coast-to-coast flights and cross-country flights that broke records. Describe the role of the U.S. Postal Service in the development of aviation as a business. The U.S. Postal Service helped to make aviation and flight a much bigger part of the commercial business of the transport of products. This was achieved by the Postal Service because they set up bids for the ownership of half a dozen regional air routes which fed into a much larger national route. Naturally, many companies were eager to own these routes in order to make a profit off the transport of mail. Although Ford had a brief experience of success in the aviation business, but unfortunately he was unable to stay in the business through the Depression. In his absence, several companies took his place, including Colonial Air Lines, Robertson Aircraft Corporation, National Air Transport, WAE, Varney Speed Limits, Pacific Air Transport, Charles Dickinson, Florida Airways Corporation and Clifford Ball. Eventually, the companies were even able to turn a profit. What influence did Charles Lindbergh have on aviation during his career? Charles Lindbergh flew as an exhibitionist pilot. One of his most famous flights was a non-stop flight from Roosevelt Field New York, U.S., to Paris, France. However, his flight was not the most significant contribution to aviation during his career as a pilot. His contribution showed more in the response that the public had to the press covering Lindbergh and his success. The press found it very easy to make the public love Lindbergh: he was a twenty-five year old with good looks, a great smile and adorable dimples. There were even songs written about him. Interestingly enough, he was not the boy next door he was promoted to be and was instead from old money.