Wings Assignment 3

What factors enabled aviation to emerge as a business in the United States in the 1920’s?

When Wilbur and Orville Wright embarked on their journey to create a human flying machine at the beginning of the twentieth century, they knew it was something that interested them, but they did not know if it would eventually make a profit or not. After inventing a successful heavier-than-air human flying machine not many years later, they realized they could now turn their interest into a business. With this advancement in flight, other competitors began to market airplanes not long after, in what would eventually become a major part of society.

After the start of World War I in 1918, involved countries scrambled to obtain airplanes to use in the war. This need fueled new industry around the world to advance and expand upon aviation. By the end of the war a few years later, hundreds of thousands of planes had been made by aeronautical companies everywhere, but now these businesses came to almost a complete stop with no further need for fighting planes. Almost all businesses producing warplanes collapsed in the early 1920’s because of very low demand. Due to the military’s small continuing need for airplanes, few would be able to stay afloat before more investment would be allotted from the military at a later time.  

With the end of the war, other opportunities for the use of flight could now be focused upon. One of these services included the postal service. “On February 15, 1926, Ford Air Transport became the first civilian contractor to fly mail under the provision of the Air Mail Act, covering the two routes linking Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago” (Pg. 249). Many other routes and airmail corporations soon emerged, again fueling the need for airplane production. Some of these companies would also carry passengers while shipping airmail, leading to another available market involving aviation.

Other factors, like the involvement of Wall Street stock in the 1920’s, continued to shape aviation as an industry. “Aviation stocks soared as well. Between March 1928 and December 1929, aviation securities valued at a billion dollars changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange” (pg. 268). Not only Wall Street, but the public would begin to gain an interest in aviation starting with the excitement of Charles Lindbergh crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a non-stop flight in 1927. “By the spring of 1929, the copyright office in the Library of Congress had registered almost three hundred songs about Lindbergh” (pg. 254). With the help of supporters like Lindbergh, aviation enthusiast would go on to encourage the development of airplanes and airports around the United States.

Now what had begun with the Wright Brothers’ only 30 years ago, had formed into a major industry around the country and World. Aviation had formed its place in business and was there to stay.    

How did the science of meteorology relate to aviation?

Meteorology involves the scientific study of weather by way of the atmosphere. Modern society takes advantage of meteorology constantly, whether for traveling, safety, or just to know what the weather will be like in advance.

In the early twentieth century, however, meteorology had been utilized from little to none. Daniel Guggenheim, strived to prove that meteorology should be used in conjunction with flight. “Daniel Guggenheim wanted to show what a well-equipped airline, one determined to carry passengers in relative comfort and safety, could achieve” (pg.251). Guggenheim set out for technological and safety advancements in flight rather than profit, and believed this could be done by funding the use of meteorological predictions. Western Air Express received a grant in 1927 from the Guggenheim board to do just so.

With the support of the Guggenheim fund, the founder of modern meteorology, Carl-Gustaf Rossby, was hired to prove the importance of weather reporting to pilots. Rossby had been a supporter of incorporating the Bjerknew air-mass analysis system, and now had the means of showing its true value. Weather observation posts and radio forecasts became the method used by Rossby to take and communicate the forecast.

After the implementation of weather forecasting into the Western Air Express airline, not only had the pilots took notice of the importance of forecasting, but the military also. “‘Formerly,’ he remarked (the commander of the Army Air Corps), ‘a pilot did not know what was ahead; now he knows and is prepared’ (pg. 252).” The meteorological significance to airplanes had been successfully proven and would go on to be incorporated into airlines across the continent.

The importance of meteorology in relation to flight seems pretty obvious when considering that the home of a plane is in the atmosphere. With this advance in flight, aviation could go on to be safer and more predictable, adding to the overall reliability that continued to increase with aviation during the twentieth century.

What influence did Charles Lindbergh have on aviation during his career?

Charles Lindbergh is widely known as the first person to ever cross the Atlantic Ocean via non-stop flight. Lindbergh had been well-equipped with vast flight experience to complete this historical adventure. His success as a pilot and endorser of commercial flight would leave significant impacts on aviation.

Much of Lindbergh’s success traversing the ocean came from the fact he worked as a long-distance pilot for the airmail service. This experience allowed him to have a descent amount of practice under his belt before leaving for his history-making flight. “Lindbergh was a seasoned professional who had logged 1,100 hours flying thirty-five different types of aircraft” (pg. 254). Lindbergh had chosen to confront the challenge of crossing the ocean merely out of boredom. This flight had been attempted by several pilots previously, but had never been achieved until after the 33 plus hours Lindbergh spent flying from New York to Paris. He had chosen the Spirit of the St. Louis, a single-seat monoplane powered by a Wright J-5C engine, to make his journey.

The impact left from this historical flight and the persona Lindbergh conveyed to the public had a positive impact on aviation. Lindbergh not only glorified flight by achieving what had not been done before, but by doing so with a personification the public embraced, adding to the enthusiasm felt towards aviation. “They recognize him in qualities they would like to possess – courage, quiet confidence, modesty, and spiritual freedom” (pg. 254). Lindbergh went on to use his fame to further boost aviation by going on a national three-month tour to encourage the development of aviation. Later in life he would go on to create two successful airlines and eventually become a controversial character due to his harsh publicly-spoken opinions.

Lindbergh’s achievements in flight added to a growing involvement of the World in commercial flight. “The Lindbergh ballyhoo helped to build enthusiasm for flight, but the business boom in aviation was already underway.” Along with the Lindbergh excitement for flight, military involvement, postal service, and Wall Street support locked in the continuation of a strong aviation path in the United States.