Backed by government funding, the Post Office began an experimental air mail route from Washington D.C. Yet the prospects of flying were too great to ignore. These conditions made air travel, especially commercial flight, a dubious agenda. Serviceable runways were scarce and established airports with lights and radio services were even scarcer. Many pilots were forced to abandon ship while many others tragically went down with their planes. Planes were not always equipped with wheel brakes, and small engines often led to disastrous results. Most aircraft did not have enclosed cabins, which subjected pilots to freezing temperatures and treacherous winds. De Havilland Plane, one of the first used to carry mail (28-MS-1C-63)Įarly aviation was not for the faint of heart. Luckily, the fears surrounding aviation were quelled by an unlikely government agency, the United States Postal Service. Although people were enthralled at the prospect of aviation, most had no intentions of leaving the ground. Yet despite intense interest and publicity, the airplane’s practicality was still in doubt. From the Wright Brothers’ early expeditions in Kitty Hawk, to the World War I fighter pilots in Europe, the airplane generated excitement around the world. At the beginning of the 20 th century, dreams of flying morphed from science fiction to reality.
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