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Since the Wright Brothers added a motor to their glider in 1903 at the dawn of aviation, the aircraft industry has been building one record setting airplane after another. Some aviation achievements stand out as world events.

In 1927 aviator Charles Lindbergh departed on a daring flight that several had tried before, nonstop from Floyd Bennett field in New York to Paris. Safely landing at Paris LeBourget field about 33 hours later, the pioneer was nicknamed Lucky Lindy.

In April 1924 a group of four Douglas single engine biplanes fitted with floats departed Seattle, Washington on the first around the world flight sponsored by the Army Air Corps. Only two of them completed the flight, returning to Seattle 175 days later in September. One had crashed in Alaska and another sank in the Atlantic. The planes were standard Douglas DT torpedo bombers with extra fuel tanks.

In October 1947 the Bell X-1 rocket powered research aircraft achieved supersonic flight. This small aircraft had no conventional landing gear. The X-1 was carried aloft in a modified Boeing B-29 bomber and released at high altitude. This flight was officially recognized as the first sound breaker, as earlier attempts could not be verified as accurate.

In 1958 British Overseas Airways Corporation, known as BOAC, introduced the first transatlantic passenger jet service. Using a De Havilland Comet IV airliner powered by four Rolls Royce jet engines, the flight took only about seven hours from London to New York Idlewild Airport, since renamed Kennedy.

The Concorde Super Sonic Transport stunned the world in 1977, introducing the flying public to supersonic travel. This was a joint British and French project. British Airways flew the Concorde between London and New York in less than four hours. Air France began Paris to New York Concorde service soon after.The information doesn’t stop now. Keep looking: Supersonic transports for Aeronautics in 1969

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