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Period: to
Money
in the 1900's pilots made close to about 3 dollars an hour
and now in 2017 they make 20 to 50 dollars an hour -
The beginning of it all
On December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright made four brief flights at Kitty Hawk with their first powered aircraft. The Wright brothers had invented the first successful airplane. -
Take off on a ship
Eugene Ely pilots a Curtiss biplane on the first flight to take off from a ship. In November he departs from the deck of a cruiser anchored in Hampton Roads, Virginia, and lands onshore. In January 1911 he takes off from shore and lands on a ship anchored off the coast of California. -
The first army airplane goes to world war 1
When America joined World War 1 American pilots had to fly French and British pursuit aircraft because America was hopelessly behind in military aviation. -
The first passenger airplane
On February 25, 1914, it took off for its first demonstration flight with 16 passengers aboard. From June 21 – June 23, it made a round-trip from Saint Petersburg to Kiev in 14 hours and 38 minutes with one intermediate landing. -
Passenger service across the English Channel introduced
Britain and France introduce passenger service across the English Channel, flying initially between London and Paris. -
Bessie Coleman
First African American to fly an plane -
First nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic
On May 21, Charles Lindbergh completes the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic, traveling 3,600 miles from New York to Paris in a Ryan monoplane named the Spirit of St. Louis. On June 29, Albert Hegenberger and Lester Maitland complete the first flight from Oakland, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii. At 2,400 miles it is the longest open-sea flight to date. -
The first women to fly
In 1928, Amelia Earhart received a phone call that would change her life. She was invited to become the first woman passenger to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a plane. -
First electromechanical flight simulator
Edwin A. Link introduces the Link Trainer, the first electromechanical flight simulator. Mounted on a base that allows the cockpit to pitch, roll, and yaw, these ground-based pilot trainers have closed hoods that force a pilot to rely on instruments. The flight simulator is used for virtually all U.S. pilot training during WWII. -
First modern commercial airliner
In February, Boeing introduces the 247, a twin-engine 10-passenger monoplane that is the first modern commercial airliner. With variable-pitch propellers, it has an economical cruising speed and excellent takeoff. Retractable landing gear reduces drag during flight. -
First practical radar
British scientist Sir Robert Watson-Watt patents the first practical radar (for radio detection and ranging) system for meteorological applications. During World War II radar is successfully used in Great Britain to detect incoming aircraft and provide information to intercept bombers. -
First transpacific mail service
Pan American inaugurates the first transpacific mail service, between San Francisco and Manila, on November 22, and the first transpacific passenger service in October the following year. Four years later, in 1939, Pan Am and Britain’s Imperial Airways begin scheduled transatlantic passenger service. -
The first bomber
A bomber is a combat aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombshells), firing torpedoes or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. -
Jet engines designed
Jet engines designed independently by Britain’s Frank Whittle and Germany’s Hans von Ohain make their first test runs.Two years later, on August 27, the first jet aircraft, the Heinkel HE 178, takes off, powered by von Ohain’s HE S-3 engine. -
George Welch
one of the famous people to pilot an airplane in the 40s -
First practical single rotor helicopters
Russian emigre Igor Sikorsky develops the VS-300 helicopter for the U.S. Army, one of the first practical single rotor helicopters. -
The group of girls to fly a plane
the United States was faced with a severe shortage of pilots, and leaders gambled on an experimental program to help fill the void: Train women to fly military aircraft so male pilots could be released for combat duty overseas. -
Sound barrier broken
U.S. Air Force pilot Captain Charles "Chuck" Yeager becomes the fastest man alive when he pilots the Bell X-1 faster than sound for the first time on October 14 over the town of Victorville, California. -
Steve Fossett
He was the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon.
