| When the Wright Brothers succeeded in flying | | | | flying "solo" from New York to Paris in the |
| their 'heavier than air' machine at Kitty | | | | thirties, in his single engined airplane |
| Hawk way back in 1903, everyone thought it | | | | christened SPIRIT OF ST.LOUIS. Soon the World |
| was just a toy. However, within a decade | | | | War began and that was the time when massive |
| there were hundreds of such machines flying | | | | development took place in the field of |
| and soon it became a common sight to see | | | | aviation. Germans were improving their |
| flying machines dotting the skies; and they | | | | aircrafts by the day competing with USA and |
| were covering longer distances. | | | | England. |
| | | | |
| Still, flying was only a hobby and some | | | | The British fighter aircrafts "Spitfires" and |
| people who were passionate about flying | | | | the German "Messer schmits" are legends even |
| either purchased or built and virtually lived | | | | to this day. |
| in their own aircrafts. The only way they | | | | |
| could make a living was by flying their | | | | Larger aircrafts were built to carry more |
| airplanes, so they started giving "joy rides" | | | | people and more cargo. Mail that was ferried |
| to interested people to earn enough to | | | | by road and rail was sent by air, bringing |
| maintain their machines and a square meal a | | | | forth the now popular "air mail" service. |
| day. When there were no takers for joy rides, | | | | Some businessmen and Industrialists started |
| they would demonstrate their aerobatic skills | | | | calling those barnstormers asking for a lift |
| like flying the "loop" or flying upside down | | | | to some place as they found it was faster |
| and a variety of other stunts, near village | | | | than going by train or car, and it gave them |
| fairs. These pioneers were known as | | | | that extra prestige. |
| "barnstormers ". | | | | |
| | | | Thus, the advent of 'air taxis' was born. |
| There were no airports as such, and these | | | | |
| barnstormers flew "by the seat of their | | | | Slowly but surely, the world realized that |
| pants"(meaning there were no navigational | | | | airplanes were not toys, and that they would |
| equipments those days, so the aircrafts were | | | | revolutionize the way people traveled. The |
| piloted much the same way as one would drive | | | | world became smaller, and aviation was taken |
| a car by looking around and fixing landmarks) | | | | up seriously resulting in development of |
| taking off and landing in open fields | | | | larger Airliners, invention of the Jet |
| wherever they wanted to stop over. | | | | engine, breaking of the "sound barrier" |
| | | | (traveling faster than sound), and even space |
| The possibilities were really seen only when | | | | travel, all within a century after the first |
| Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic Ocean | | | | ever heavier than air machine flew! |