Comments

You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name

Your e-mail (optional)

Website (optional)

	My Original Nic Pic-a-Nic Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Foto

Submit your comments on this article

Science & Technology

Army celebrates century of military aviation

2008-09-09

The sound of freedom, for 100 years.
ARLINGTON, Va. (Army News Service, Sep. 8, 2008) -- The Army kicked off a celebration recognizing 100 years of military aviation during a Sept. 6 ceremony at Fort Myer, Va. Despite heavy rains and flooded streets due to Tropical Storm Hanna, hundreds turned out to Conmy Hall to see the first public starting of the engine on a replica of the 1908 Wright Model A. The original of that aircraft flew Sept. 3, 1908 at Fort Myer. That flight was the first in a series that led to a $30,000 Army contract awarded to the Wright brothers in July 1909 for the first military airplane.

In attendance at the ceremony Saturday were the families of Orville and Wilbur Wright; Lt. Benjamin Foulois, who established the Army's first flight detachment; and 1st Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge, the first military aviation fatality. Ceremony hosts included Rep. James Moran of Virginia's 8th district, retired Maj. Gen. Carl H. McNair, and Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli.

Posted by:Atomic Conspiracy

#3 A read of the entire airmail experiment is enlightening; development of navigational aids ( first ones were bonfires at night, roads during the day; good instrumentation ( flying in a cloudbank only to encounter a cumulo-granite formation would ruin your day) and the letting of contracts to companies for flying the mail after the army pilots experienced horrific fatalities. this eventually led to breaking up many early avaition companies that considered building and flying their own equipment as natural.

Posted by: USN, Ret. 2008-09-09 14:33

#2 Which eventually lead to usually unknown results -
"Attempts to start airmail service had begun as early as 1912, when it seemed that the airplane might develop into a practicable means of transportation. Recommendations were made to Congress that year to appropriate $50,000 to start an experimental service. Many government permits were issued to make short exhibition flights with mail, but it was not until 1916 that sufficient funds were made available to begin scheduled operations. Advertisements for bids were issued but not one was received. However, the war in Europe caused improvements in aircraft to be made rapidly, and in the fiscal year ending

June 30, 1918, Congress appropriated $100,000 for development of an experimental route between Washington and New York. Bids were to be delivered within 10 days.Much to the surprise of the Post Office Department, Colonel E.A. Deeds, head of the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps (later the Army Air Service), offered to operate the postal route with military planes and pilots. The offer had developed because of a request from Europe that pilots be given more cross-country experience before being sent overseas. Flying the mail over a fixed route system would give pilots valuable experience."

Thus beginning the long journey to the standard distribution of non-bulk mail. Young'ens don't recall a time when you paid a premium price for 'airmail' as most mail was moved by rail.

Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-09-09 09:13

#1 Nobody stops the Army Air Corps!

Posted by: Mike 2008-09-09 08:58

00:00