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

  • Published
  • By Maj. Darrin "DB" Dronoff
  • 48th Equipment Maintenance Squadron commander
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  From the earliest days of our existence, humans have dreamed of flight. We have seen this through centuries-old simple paintings on dark cave walls, through legends passed down generation to generation, and through fanciful drawings placed throughout ancient manuscripts. The dream of flight that turned into reality in 1903 on that cold December day in North Carolina would never have been possible without the hard work, dedication and commitment of countless people, many 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, in all of its forms, possible. Because in today's world, the advancement of aviation has made most of what we experience and enjoy today possible. In just 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 aviation 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 today. 

In 1783, high over the heads of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette (while she still had hers), the Montgolfier brothers launched their balloon. In it were some unlikely passengers: a sheep, a duck and a chicken and it was 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 until then. 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 both provide 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, glider pioneer 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 (a key point). 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 Orville and Wilbur Wright 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, all farther than the previous, started a rapid advancement in aviation technology and capabilities never before seen. 

In the last 105 years we have seen the use of aircraft in warfare, air travel become a reliable public transportation system, the development of the jet engine, the breaking of the sound barrier by Gen. Chuck Yeager, the incredible lunar landings by the Apollo program, modern fighter aircraft, 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 the name Charlie Taylor, I doubt if you would but he was an employee of the Wright brothers working in their bicycle shop. He worked tirelessly helping to design and produce their first aircraft engine. Or Bill Tate, who provided lodging at Kitty Hawk for the brothers during their voyage into history. No one can say these supports didn't help advance aviation. The same can be said about countless people, who provided support to advance aviation throughout the past 105 years. 

As members of the United States Air Force, especially here at RAF Lakenheath and Mildenhall, we are a big part of the continued advancement of aviation and aviation technologies. From the cooks who work around the clock to ensure that our members are well fed and ready for the long duty hours and sorties, to the medical technicians and doctors who give their all to keep us healthy and "fix" what's wrong. Fitness technicians, administrative specialists, maintainers, civil engineers, the list goes on and on. Each one of us has a vital role ensuring our crews continue to depart and return home safely, and when they fly these missions, add to our knowledge of aviation and our ever present quest to advance. If you don't believe you have a role just ask those teams of young Airmen who very recently were asked to meet with the F-35 (Joint Strike Fighter) representatives to view the latest in aviation technology and to provide their inputs on systems and capabilities. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how our future and the future of aviation is made. 

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