The Amazing World of Aviation

From the exhilarating and perilous days of early fight, to the present, where travel on commercial flights all over the world is as common as travel by motorcar, this program looks at the beginnings of flight.

The first decades of aviation brought both triumph and tragedy. To fly an early airplane required skill, courage and daring. A new breed of adventurers looked to the heavens for their challenges, and thrilled audiences around the world. The advent of the movie camera meant that their exploits could be broadcast to every corner of the globe, and recorded for posterity.

The decades following the First World War saw aircraft designers pushing the boundaries of aeronautical technology, moving the industry forward at a rapid pace. With new commercial markets opening up, it was the visionaries who held the key to success. Each invention promising a future filled with endless possibilities.

In 1951, a whimsical animation encouraged Americans to appreciate the joys of flight. The years following the First World War saw flying take off as business. Previously unimagined opportunities opened up, among them, skywriting and sightseeing tours.

The very first airplanes were purely land-based. It soon became apparent that planes would need to be able to fly over water in order to transport passengers and cargo effectively. On 28th March 1910, Henri Fabre became the first person to successfully pilot a seaplane over water.

In 1966, British aviation expert Sir Frank Whittle was honored for his services to the aviation industry. Twenty-five years earlier, the aeronautical engineer had invented the jet engine, and ushered in a new era of air travel.

The year 1950 was a pivotal year for innovations in air travel, marking the start of the Jet Age after the invention of the jet engine by Frank Whittle some nine years earlier. Airlines began to spring up everywhere, catering to the demands of passengers wanting to go just about anywhere, but the flights were domestic only at the time.

The first airfields were more concerned with utility than comfort. In the early years, tents were the only amenities set up for the enthusiastic crowds who flocked to watch aviators' daring exploits. During the war, open fields provided a runway, and hangars stored maintenance gear and airplanes. The first passengers became used to enduring the elements as they walked out to their flight.

Flying at the speed of sounds doesn't seem lime the type of thing that was possible in the 1960's, but that was when traditional rivals Britain and France collaborated to build the world's first Concorde, a jet that could traverse the Atlantic in just 3 hours, at twice the speed of sound, around about 1400 miles an hour.

The Boeing 737 twin engine jetliner was to become Boeing's greatest success. Launched in 1967, the short range transport entered service the following year, and has remained in production ever since. In the 737, they have combined the best of all previous Boeing aircraft.

Increasing passenger loads created greater demand on the world's most popular airlines, especially across the Atlantic. Traditionally, regulators had insisted that all passenger aircraft be powered by at least three engines, but the development of more sophisticated airplanes eventually made twin-engine, long-distance travel feasible.

The Boeing 787 may not look different, but according to it's manufacturers it is a revolution in air travel and will help preserve the natural resources of the planet. Similar to the Airbus A380, the plane is made from carbon-fiber reinforced plastics and aluminum glass fiber materials which are lighter and more resistant to fatigue.

In 1982 the US government initiated a top secret research program known as Copper Canyon, to investigate the possibility of a single stage-to-orbit airplane which could take off and land horizontally. In 1990 the X-30 National Aero-Space Plane was developed by MacDonald Douglas.