The Birth of Aviation
Aviation was in its infancy at the beginning of the twentieth century; the Wright brothers’
first flight took place in 1903. Both World War I and World War II were catalysts in the
development of air transportation. The carrying of mail by air provided a reason for government
support of this new industry. Commercial airline passenger service began to
grow, and by the mid-1930s, coast-to-coast service was available. After World War II, the
expansion of air transportation was phenomenal. The technological breakthroughs that
developed during the war, coupled with the training of pilots, created a new industry that
replaced both oceangoing steamships and passenger railroads. A summary of the historical
highlights of transportation development is shown in Table 1.1.