June 2004 - Issue 6

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The History of Commercial Aviation

Commercial Aviation Timeline

17 December 1903

Cal Rodgers embarks on his quest to fly the U. S. coast to coast in 30 days or less and win a $50,000 prize offered by William Randolph Hearst. Rodgers' plane, named the "Vin Fiz," was plagued from problems from the outset, but his endurance through five major crashes only endeared him to the American public.

17 october 1903

Harriet Quimby becomes the first woman to fly across the English Channel. Unlike the widespread acclaim that met her male counterpart, Louis Blériot, Quimby's record-setting flight was overshadowed by a coinciding tragedy, the sinking of Titanic.

23 october 2003

Pioneer aviator Lincoln Beachey dies when his plane plunges into the San Francisco Bay at the Panama-Pacific International Exhibition. Beachey broke new ground by flying his plane upside down, performing loops, even picking up a handkerchief from the ground with his wing tip. World War I fighter pilots and barnstormers would later adopt his flying techniques.

17 october 1903

William Boeing's fascination with aviation leads to the creation of his own airplane manufacturing business, Pacific Aero Products Company. The following year he renames it the Boeing Airplane Company. Over the next several decades, the company would evolve into the world's largest commercial airline manufacturer.

23 october 2003

Renowned World War I British fighter pilot, Albert Ball, is shot down and killed near Lens, France. Known for his skill and daring, Captain Ball scored 44 air combat victories in only 14 months of service.

17 october 1903

The United States officially establishes air mail service with flights between New York City, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. The pilot on the first air mail route actually flew in the wrong direction, crash landing in Maryland instead of Philadelphia. Ironically, the first U.S. air mail pouch had to be delivered by train.

23 october 2003

U.S. Colonel Billy Mitchell organizes an aerial force of 1,481 British, French and Italian planes to support an American ground attack at the Battle of Saint-Mihiel. The resounding victory demonstrated airplanes' effectiveness as weapons of destruction. An outspoken proponent of aerial force, Mitchell's military career would end in 1925 after his repeated criticism of U.S. military preparedness led to a court-martial.

Next decade: 1920 - 1929