National Aviation Week: A legacy of hard work, dedication, and commitment

  • Published
  • By Darrin "DB" Dronoff, Major, USAF
  • Commander, 748th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH,England --  From the earliest days of our existence, humans have dreamed of flight. We have seen this through rudimentary centuries-old paintings on dark cave walls, through myths and legends passed down generation to generation and through fanciful drawings placed throughout ancient manuscripts. The dream of flight that was realized on that cold day in December 1903, would never have been possible without the hard work, dedication, and commitment of countless people, many of whom were behind the scenes, that allowed the Wright Flyer to soar into history.

As National Aviation Week draws to a close, we need to remember not only all of the daring aviation pioneers, but also all of the support personnel who made the advancement of flight possible. For it is the advancement of aviation that has made most of what we experience and enjoy today possible.

In just over a century, powered and non-powered flight radically transformed everything from family reunions to aerial combat. In fact, it's easy to forget how quickly flight progressed from the eccentric fantasy of a handful of aviation pioneers to a mainstay of modern life. Throughout history there have been countless attempts to advance aviation, too many to list in this brief article, but I do want to focus on a few notable achievements that have shaped the world we live in.

In 1783, high over the heads of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, the Montgolfier brothers launched their balloon. In it were some unlikely passengers: a sheep, a duck, and a chicken; all to prove that living things could survive in the sky. Although it sounds ridiculous to us today, the thought of man flying was purely a fantasy.

In 1799 and 1809, English inventor Sir George Cayley, from the north-west part of England, created the concept of the modern airplane. He was the first to abandon the idea that the wings must provide both lift and thrust, as birds' wings do, and instead focused on a rigid wing design and a separate device to provide thrust.

Just 90 years later, Otto Lilienthal made his first successful flight in a glider, making him the first person in history to launch into the air, fly and land safely. His success inspired two young bicycle builders, Orville and Wilbur Wright, to launch their own glider and airplane designs.

The true start of modern aviation started on the shores of North Carolina following the efforts of the Wright brothers as they, after much trial and error, launched their self powered "Wright Flyer" on a 12-second flight covering a distance of 120 feet; a measurement shorter than the wingspan of many modern airliners. This feat and subsequent flights started a rapid advancement in aviation technology and capabilities.

In the last 107 years we have seen the use of aircraft in warfare and public transportation, the development of the jet engine, the breaking of the sound barrier by General Chuck Yeager, the incredible lunar landings by the Apollo program and the success of Spaceship One, the first private-venture craft to enter and return from space successfully.

What does this all mean? Well, we have come a long way since lifting some farm animals up in a balloon, and that road wasn't traveled alone. It's just as true today as it was in 1903 during the Wright brother's tests: it takes a team to fly and expand aviation.

I bet you have never heard of Charlie Taylor. He was an employee of the Wright brothers who worked in their bicycle shop. He worked tirelessly helping to design and produce their first aircraft engine. What about Bill Tate who provided lodging at Kitty Hawk for the brothers during their voyage into history? They assisted and supported the advancement of aviation. The same can be said about countless people who provided support to advance aviation throughout the past 107 years.

As members of the United States Air Force, especially here at RAF Lakenheath and Mildenhall, we play a big part in the continued advancement of aviation and aviation technologies. From the cooks who work around the clock to ensure our Airmen are well-fed and ready for the long duty hours and sorties, to the medical technicians and doctors who keep us healthy. Fitness technicians, administrative specialists, maintainers, civil engineers; the list goes on and on. Each one of us plays a vital role in ensuring our crews continue to perform the mission while also adding to our knowledge of aviation. If you don't believe you have a role just ask those teams of young Airmen who last year were asked to meet with F-35 Joint Strike Fighter representatives, to view the latest in aviation technology and provide their inputs on systems and capabilities. That is how the future of aviation is influenced.

National Aviation Week is not a national holiday. It's not even mentioned in many mainstream news media. However, it is a large part of what and who we are as a service. It has been the legacy of hard work, dedication and commitment by each one of us that has influenced aviation history.