What is Aviation?

Aviation refers to the operation of aircraft, whether it is by a pilot, a mechanic, or an Air Traffic Controller. You don't have to work in aviation to be fascinated by it. Photographers, tinkerers, gamers, and History buffs are all fascinated by the marvels of Aviation. From the early days of Classical Antiquity where the greek fable of Daedalus and Icarus have inspired man's dream to fly above the earth, to the practical applications towards that dream. From the early days of Da Vinci, Montgolfier, and the Wright Brothers, to the modern era of the colossal A380, supersonic Concorde, and even into outer space from names like Goddart, Von Braun, and even Elon Musk, we continue to build upon the dream to soar across the skies in ways like never before.

A Brief History of Aviation (More coming soon)

The First Airplanes (1903-1914)

On December 17, 1903, Two bicycle manufacturers, Orville and Wilbur Wright, better known to the history books as "The Wright Brothers" took to the skies with their famous Wright Flier in the small town of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Trailing behind the success of the Wright Brothers, was John McCurdy's AEA Silver Dart, the first aircraft to be built and flown in Canada. The Silver Dart made it's first flight on February 23, 1909.

WWI: The Rise of Flight (1914-1918)

With the onset of WWI, aircraft have evolved from a new concept for a vehicle, into a new kind of weapon, which boosted further developments on the relatively new concept for the 1900's and 1910's. From 1914 to 1918, the first fighter planes were used across Great War Europe, and above the grit and despair of trench warfare, came the dawn of Aerial Warfare. Such iconic aircraft include the Fokker DR.1, the Nieuport 17, and the Sopwith Camel, and some of their greatest pilots were known as aces. From Canada's Billy Bishop and Raymond Collishaw, to the most well known ace of the Great War. Manfred Von Richtofen. Otherwise known by his most famous moniker, "The Red Baron." While historians still debate this issue, it is believed that Canadian pilot, Arthur "Roy" Brown had killed the Baron, by inflicting a wound that caused the Baron to bleed to death after retreating from an intense battle on April 21, 1918.

Dawn of Air Travel (1918-1935)

After the end of WWI, many former fighter pilots turned in their commissions, but not their gloves. After seeing what had WWI done to developments and usage of airplanes, these pilots used their flying experience to helping out the civilian populations as mail pilots. Before air mail services, the postal service used horses, trucks, ships, and trains. While reliable for where each method served, it wasn't practical with getting the mail to some remote communities, such as trader outposts and mining communities out in the wilderness. Which is where these air mail services stepped in, which helped to expand infrastructure into these remote regions. Of course, with the greater usage of airplanes into the 1920's, came new needs and advancements for airplanes. Bigger, faster, and can carry more than a simple biplane. Which lead to the dawn of air travel. One of the first airliners was the Fokker F.VII, or better known by it's American licensed version, the Ford Tri-Motor or Tin Goose, which was first built in 1924. While air travel was temporarilly taken down in it's prime during the Great Depression, an all metal phoenix rose from the ashes. In 1935, American aircraft company Douglas created the DC-3, one of the most iconic airplanes ever built. It was fast for the time, reliable, and had great range. Many airlines have used the DC-3, and was even adopted for use by the USAF during WWII as the C-47 Skytrain.

World War II (1939-1945)

With a second World War, came a second golden age for advancements for aviation, and aircraft designs. One of the most well known battles of WWII was the Battle of Britain. As Nazi Germany conquered all across mainland Europe, they set their sights on Great Britain, as they sent a large scale force of Luftwaffe ME-109 fighters, and JU-88 bombers to destroy Britain. Over the course from July to October 1940, the British Royal Air Force have engaged with the Luftwaffe in a fierce conflict ranging from South England over the White Cliffs of Dover, to the middle of the English Channel. The Battle of Britain ended on October 31, 1940, and has gone down in history as one of the most important battles where air power reigned supreme, and the crucible for British engineering with the iconic Supermarine Spitfire.

While this was an Allied victory in the European Theatre, air power was also a contributor to one of the most devastating Allied losses. On December 7, 1941, the US Navy port of Pearl Harbour on island of Oahu, Hawaii was invaded by a surprise assault of Imperial Japanese A6M2 Zero fighters, and B5N Kate (pronounced Kah-Tae) bombers. The aftermath of the invasion left the island in disrepair, and has garnered the involvement of the United States in WWII. Across the Pacific Theater, air power was the main method of conflict, as obviously soldiers can't walk on water, these battles were fought with ships and airplanes. Some of the innovations that came of the Pacific Theatre to aviation include the use of Aircraft Carriers, or big ships that act as airfields at sea, Flying Boats such as the PBY Catalina the US Navy used with the Black Cat Raids, or the Japanese H8K, and bringing the war to a close with the B-29 Superfortress bomber, which was the first aircraft to feature a pressurized cabin, so the crew don't need to wear oxygen masks at altitude. The B-29 was also particularly (in)famous for the bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and Nagasaki on August 9, 1945 with the first and hopfully, only deployment of nuclear weapons during war. The two bombers used to drop the nuclear bombs were known as "Bockscar" with dropping the nuclear bomb "Fat Man" on Nagasaki, and the "Enola Gay" with dropping the nuclear bomb "Little Boy" on Hiroshima.

Dawn of the Jet Age (1945-1960)

As the 2nd World War evolved the ways aircraft are designed, one noteworthy acheivement was the world's first operational fighter plane powered by a new type of engine. The jet engine. The Messerschmitt ME 262 was the world's first jet fighter. First developed as early as 1941, The ME 262 entered service late during the war around 1944. The Axis were not the only ones to develop jet powered fighter aircraft. The British have used two jet fighters in the same time. First was the Gloster Meteor, which took resembles the ME-262, and the Dehavilland Vampire, a much more unique design with a twin-boom fuselage and a single jet engine.

Beyond WWII, The Korean War saw the first widespread use of jet fighters, in an area known among American and South Korean pilots as "Mig Alley." Where UN flown F-86 Sabres regularly fought against Soviet built and North Korean flown MiG-15 fighters. As with air mail after WWI, WWII brought the power of the jet engine outside of conflict. One of the first jet airliners ever built was the British de Havilland Comet, which first flew in 1949, and has paved the way for a revolutionary time known as the "Jet Age." A time where jet aircraft were the most talked about thing. A time where advancements have been made in the civilian and military sectors.

Space Age and Computerization (1957-1987)

Airplanes: Then and Now (1988-Present)

The Science of flight (More coming soon)

Planes fly because of the four forces that act on the aircraft. Lift, weight, thrust and drag.
Lift
Lift is generated by air pressure under the wings keeps the aircraft inflight, as the pressure pushes the plane upwards
Weight
Weight is generated by how much weight the plane has. It is the force that counteracts lift and ensures that the plane returns to the ground
Thrust
Thrust is generated by the aircraft's engine. It is what propels the plane forward as it flies. The engine itself is usually either a propeller, a jet engine, or a combination of the two in the form of the Turbo-Prop.
Drag
Drag is generated by anything on the plane that breaks up the aerodynamic flow of air. There are usually two types of drag:
Parasite Drag
Drag that is generated by anything that is not controlled by the pilot.
IE: Fixed Landing gear on a Cessna, weapons attached to hardpoints on a fighter jet, or a person clamouring on the wing for dear life.
Induced Drag
Drag that is generated by anything the pilot is in control of.
IE: Flaps, Spoilers, retractable landing gear, or a fighter jet's internal weapon bay doors.