A century of aviation

I've been watching a special in French on the history of airplanes.

I've only known the era in which flying has been "normal." However, I am reminded that it was just over a century ago when Orville and Wilbur Wright had their first 4 successful test flights on a beach in Kitty Hawk, NC on December 17, 1903. The best of these only covered 852 feet in 59 seconds.

Today I was on the Internet checking out flights and prices from Paris to Manila for a conference in early May. This flight is just about half way around the world, however many miles/kilometers this is. Just a century ago, this would have been impossible. It would have been like what traveling to Jupiter is for us right now. But perhaps in way less than another 100 years, travel to other planets might become "normal."

The development of aeronautics has changed the nature of the life during the past century. It changed the nature of war, as bombers, fighter pilots, helicopters, and aircraft carriers are now essential parts of any arsenal. Travel around the world is rapid and relatively cheap.

Those in my line of work used to travel by boat to their locations. It took at least a month one-way in the early days, so one often wouldn't return "home" until after 4 full years. Nowadays, one can catch a plane from most places and be back "home" in less than a day. This allows many more chances for people to travel and experience different types of work for a short-term period.

My 6 year old has flown once from Paris to Budapest, Hungary. He's also made 5 transatlantic flights from Paris to the U.S. already. My 4 year old has made 4 transatlantic flights, while my 2 year old has already made 2 of them. So, just about once a year on average, they've flown to the U.S. I already have them signed up for frequent flyer miles. Contrast to my first plane flight (Detroit to Newark, NJ) being at age 19 1/2. It's already a different world of travel for my kids than it was for me as a kid.

This ease of travel has allowed us to know people from many different countries already. It makes for an easier mixing and networking with people from around the globe.