Golden Age of Aviation

The 1920s had an immeasurable impact on the history of aviation that led to the development of the state and operation of the modern aircraft industry as it exists today. There were many notable achievements such as Charles Lindberg’s solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean that propelled him into an instant National Hero status. Famous groups of Barnstormers distinguished this time period with their daring flying feats and the gripping fear they brought to their spectators. New safety regulations and operating procedures were set into place when the dangers of flying became fully understood by the public of this time period. Due to the experimental uses of aircraft, the government passed new regulations which caused the shipping industry to become commercialized; effectively reinventing the way Americans utilized the aviation field at that time and ultimately persisting into modern day aviation practice.

The testing, experimentation, and search for the uses of aircraft was at its climax in the golden age of aviation. Returning World War I pilots brought home their love for flying after the war and introduced it to the public so they could experiment with their aircraft in new ways while making a sustainable living. Surplus aircraft, such as the Curtis JN-4D “Jenny” biplane, were sold to the general public by the government after the conflict (Clark 68). These pilots often formed into flight teams to tour the United States. As Joseph F. Clark III states, “[t]hey adopted the term ‘barnstorming’ for their traveling shows, taken from the late nineteenth-century practice of fast-paced political campaign tours through rural areas” (68-69). Troupes would travel the country and make a living from this lifestyle. Joseph F. Clark ...

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...damental policies and practices in the production and utilization of modern day aircraft were founded in these early times. The experimentation of aircraft pilots and later government regulation led to an improved postal industry that changed the way the world works.

Works Cited

“Air Travel.” U.S.A.:Twenties. Vol. 1. Danbury, CT: Grolier, 2005.

Clark, Joseph F., III. “Aviation.” The Twenties in America. Ed. Carl Rollyson. Vol. 1. Ipswich, Ma: Salem Press, 2012.

Ferrara, Ronald J. “Air Commerce Act of 1926.” The Twenties in America. Ed. Carl Rollyson. Vol. 1. Ipswich, Ma: Salem Press, 2012.

Grant, R.G. “The Golden Age.” Flight: 100 Years of Aviation. New York, NY: DK Publishing, Inc., 2002.

Howes, Kelly King, and Julie L. carnagie. “Technology Changes Daily Life.” The Roaring Twenties: Almanac and Primary Sources. Detroit: U.X.L, 2006.