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The History of Air Travel

For passengers on America’s early airlines, flying was a special treat.

May 2018

By Tod Olson

It was May 21, 1927. A crowd of 100,000 people stared into the sky in Paris, France. At 10 p.m., they saw what they had been waiting for.

A single plane appeared under the stars. It landed, and the pilot stepped into the crowd. A huge cheer rang out. Charles Lindbergh had just completed the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

The world was fascinated by Lindbergh’s flight. At the time, people made long trips by train or by ship. Now it seemed they could also travel by plane.

In the next few years, new airline companies were formed. New planes were built. And slowly, the era of air travel began.

It was May 21, 1927. A crowd of 100,000 people stared into the sky. They were in Paris, France. It was 10 p.m.

A plane appeared. It landed, and the pilot got out. People cheered. Charles Lindbergh had just made an important flight. It was the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

This was big news. At the time, people made long trips by train or ship. Now they could fly as well.

In the next few years, new airline companies were formed. New planes were built. The era of air travel began.

On May 21, 1927, a crowd of 100,000 people stared into the sky in Paris, France. At 10 p.m., they finally saw what they had been waiting for.

A single plane appeared under the stars. It landed, and as the pilot stepped into the crowd, a huge cheer rang out. Charles Lindbergh had just completed the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

The world was fascinated by Lindbergh’s flight. At the time, people made long trips by train or by ship. Now it seemed they could also travel by plane.

In the next few years, new airline companies were formed, new planes were built, and the era of air travel began.

Only the Brave

In the early years, not many people traveled by plane. Flying was expensive, uncomfortable, and dangerous.

The first passengers flew on planes that delivered mail. They rode in open cockpits. Helmets and goggles protected them from the wind. Often they sat on sacks of mail.

Soon, all planes were closed in. But flights could still be freezing cold. Passengers huddled in coats to keep warm. Plane engines were deafening. And many flights were as bumpy as roller coasters. Bowls were kept under the seats for passengers who needed to throw up.

Still, the idea that you could soar through the clouds was new and exciting. One airport in Dallas, Texas, served only about 100 passengers every weekend. But thousands of other people showed up—just to watch the planes take off.

Air travel was slow to take off. Not many people traveled by air. Flying was expensive. It was uncomfortable. And it was dangerous.

The first passengers flew on planes that carried mail. They rode in open cockpits. They wore helmets. They wore goggles to block the wind. Often they sat on bags of mail.

Soon, all planes were closed in. But flights could still be freezing cold. And plane engines were deafening. Many flights were bumpy. Bowls were kept under the seats. That was for people who had to throw up.

Still, planes were exciting. There was an airport in Dallas, Texas. It served about 100 passengers every weekend. But thousands showed up. They watched the planes take off.

In the early years, not many people traveled by plane because flying was expensive, uncomfortable, and dangerous.

The first passengers flew on mail-delivery planes. They rode in open cockpits and often sat on sacks of mail. They wore helmets and goggles to protect themselves from the wind.

Soon, all planes were closed in, but flights could still be freezing cold. Passengers huddled in coats to keep warm. Plane engines were deafening. And many flights were so bumpy, bowls were kept under the seats for passengers who needed to vomit.

Still, the idea that you could soar through the clouds was new and exciting. One airport in Dallas, Texas, served only about 100 passengers every weekend, but thousands of other people showed up—just to watch the planes take off.

Party in the Clouds

NYC/The Granger Collection

Party Time
Bored by your book? Head on down to the piano lounge! In the early days, planes often had places where you could mingle with other passengers.

For air passengers, progress came quickly. In 1939, Pan Am airlines offered the first commercial flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Passengers ate fancy meals in a dining room. Women had a special lounge with mirrors for putting on makeup.

At night, tired travelers slept in bunk beds. The beds were an important feature. The flight took 27 hours to get from New York to England.

But only the wealthy could afford this luxurious form of travel. The Pan Am flight cost $675 round-trip. That was almost half of what the average American earned in a year. Most people still traveled by train or by ship.

For air travel, progress came quickly. In 1939, Pan Am airlines offered the first commercial flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Passengers ate fancy meals in a dining room.

At night, travelers slept in bunk beds. The flight from New York to England took 27 hours.

But only the rich could afford this luxurious form of travel. The Pan Am flight cost $675 round-trip. That was almost half of what the average American earned in a year. Most people still traveled by train or ship.

For air passengers, progress came quickly. In 1939, Pan Am airlines offered the first commercial flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Passengers enjoyed fancy meals in a dining room.

At night, tired travelers slept in bunk beds. The beds were an important feature, because the flight from New York to England took 27 hours.

Still, only the wealthy could afford this luxurious form of travel. The Pan Am flight cost $675 round-trip, which was almost half of what the average American earned in a year. Most people still traveled by train or by ship.

Flying High

After World War II ended in 1945, air travel took off. Routes were mapped around the world.

Military airfields were turned into airports. The powerful engines that had been developed for warplanes made flights smoother. And thousands of men returned from the war with pilot training, eager to put their skills to use.

In 1958, jet planes made air travel faster and more comfortable. Finally, travelers didn’t have to be rich to fly. Airlines offered cheaper tickets called coach class.

Coach passengers couldn’t nap in a bed or eat in a dining room. But flying was still seen as a special occasion. People dressed up for plane trips—and were treated like celebrities. Flight attendants in fancy uniforms served them drinks. Pilots invited kids into the cockpit.

The age of air travel had truly arrived. By 1970, U.S. airlines were transporting more than 150 million Americans a year.

People no longer gathered in big crowds to watch planes land. They were too busy flying in them.

World War II ended in 1945. Then air travel took off. Routes were mapped around the world.

Military airfields were turned into airports. Powerful engines had been developed for warplanes. Those made flights smoother. And thousands of men had pilot training from the war. They wanted to use their skills.

In 1958, jet planes made air travel faster. It was more comfortable too. Finally, you did not have to be rich to fly. Airlines offered cheaper tickets. These were called coach class.

Coach passengers had no beds. They had no dining room. Still, flying was seen as a special event. People dressed up. Flight attendants wore fancy uniforms. Pilots showed kids the cockpit.

The age of air travel had truly arrived. By 1970, U.S. airlines were serving more than 150 million Americans a year.

People no longer gathered in big crowds to watch planes land. They were too busy flying in them.

After World War II ended in 1945, air travel took off. Routes were mapped around the world, and military airfields were turned into airports. The powerful engines that had been developed for warplanes made flights smoother. Thousands of men returned from the war with pilot training, eager to put their skills to use.

In 1958, jet planes made air travel faster and more comfortable. Finally, travelers didn’t have to be rich to fly—airlines offered cheaper tickets called coach class.

Coach passengers couldn’t nap in a bed or eat in a dining room, but flying was still regarded as a special occasion. People dressed up for plane trips—and were treated like celebrities. Flight attendants in fancy uniforms served them drinks, and pilots invited kids into the cockpit.

The age of air travel had truly arrived. By 1970, U.S. airlines were transporting more than 150 million Americans a year.

People no longer gathered in big crowds to watch airplanes land, because they were too busy flying in them.

The Future of Air Travel

Will you one day hop on a plane . . . the same way you hop on the bus?

May 2018

By Tod Olson

Imagine what air travel will look like in 25 years. Maybe your kids will strap on jet packs and fly to school. Maybe they’ll board a rocket and spend summer vacation on the moon.

Then again, maybe they won’t.

According to experts, the future isn’t quite that exciting—at least not yet. But in 25 years, you’ll probably get from place to place in a much different way. Chances are, you’ll be spending more of your time in the air.

Imagine what air travel will look like in 25 years. Maybe your kids will strap on jet packs and fly to school. Maybe they’ll vacation on the moon. Or maybe not. We can’t know for sure. But things are changing.

Imagine what air travel will look like in 25 years. Maybe your kids will strap on jet packs and fly to school, or maybe they’ll board a rocket and spend summer vacation on the moon.

Then again, maybe they won’t.

Stuck on the Ground

Right now, not many people make short trips by plane. For instance, you probably don’t fly to a soccer tournament. Instead, you’re stuck in a van with half your team. You stop for five bathroom breaks. It can take six hours to drive 300 miles. Your legs hurt from sitting so long.

Why can’t you just fly? A plane could make the same trip in about an hour.

But traveling by air isn’t easy. It takes time to get to the airport and go through security. Not many flights go directly between small cities. You’d probably have to change planes at least once. And by the way, your parents would have to pay $300 for your ticket.

That’s why you’re stuck in the van. For short trips, it’s usually faster and cheaper to drive. In fact, 95 percent of trips under 500 miles are taken by car.

Right now, not many people make short trips by plane. For instance, you probably don’t fly to a soccer tournament. Instead, you’re stuck in a van. It can take six hours to drive 300 miles.

Why can’t you just fly? A plane could make the same trip. It would take about an hour.

But traveling by air isn’t easy. It takes time to get to the airport. Then you have to go through security. Not many flights go directly between small cities. You’d probably have to change planes. And your ticket might cost $300.

That’s why you’re stuck in the van. For short trips, it’s usually faster to drive. It’s cheaper too. In fact, 95 percent of trips under 500 miles are in a car.

Right now, not many people make short trips by plane. For instance, you probably don’t fly to a soccer tournament; instead, you’re stuck in a van with half your team. You stop for five bathroom breaks, and it can take six hours to drive 300 miles. Your legs ache from sitting so long.

Why can’t you just fly? An airplane could travel the same distance in about an hour—but traveling by air isn’t easy. It takes time to get to the airport and go through security. Not many flights go directly between small cities. You’d probably have to change planes at least once, and your parents would have to pay $300 for your ticket.

That’s why you’re stuck in the van. For short trips, it’s usually faster and cheaper to drive. In fact, 95 percent of trips under 500 miles are taken by car.

Electric Flight

But there’s a new technology that may get you out of the van. One company plans to have an electric plane ready by 2022. The plane will carry 12 people. And it will make trips of up to 700 miles. Think of it as a really big, flying van.

What’s so great about an electric plane? It doesn’t burn fuel. On a jet plane, it can take 1,000 gallons of fuel to fly from New York City to Boston. That fuel pollutes the air. It’s also very expensive. To pay for the fuel, airlines need to charge a fortune for tickets. They also need to carry a full load of passengers.

Electric planes will cost much less to operate than huge jets. They’ll make short flights with only a dozen passengers. And they’ll do it for about $25 a ticket.

What’s so great about an electric plane? It doesn’t burn fuel. Jet planes use a lot of fuel. It can take 1,000 gallons to fly from New York City to Boston. That fuel pollutes the air. And airlines must pay for the fuel. So they charge a lot for tickets. They also need to carry a full load of passengers.

Electric planes cost less to fly. They’ll make short flights. They’ll take only 12 passengers. And they’ll do it for about $25 a ticket.

But there’s a new technology that may get you out of the van. One company plans to have an electric plane ready by 2022. The plane will carry 12 people, and it will make trips of up to 700 miles. Think of it as a really big, flying van.

What’s so great about an electric plane? It doesn’t burn fuel. On a jet plane, it can take 1,000 gallons of fuel to fly from New York City to Boston. That fuel pollutes the air, and it’s also very expensive. To pay for the fuel, airlines need to charge a fortune for tickets—and they need to carry a full load of passengers.

Electric planes will cost much less to operate than huge jets. They’ll make short flights with only a dozen passengers, and they’ll do it for about $25 a ticket.

Door to Door

Pretty soon, your flight might start at your front door. A few companies are testing small electric air taxis. These tiny helicopters would fly without a pilot. You might call an air taxi with your cell phone. A few minutes later, it would land softly in your driveway.

Fifteen minutes later, you’d arrive at the local airport. You would meet the rest of your team and board an electric plane. An hour later, you’d almost be at the soccer field.

And the van? It’d be at home in the garage.

Pretty soon, your flight might start at your front door. A few companies are testing small electric air taxis. These are tiny helicopters. They would fly without a pilot. You might call an air taxi with your cell phone. A few minutes later, it would land in your driveway.

Fifteen minutes later, you’d arrive at the local airport. You would meet the rest of your team and board an electric plane. An hour later, you’d almost be at the soccer field.

And the van? It would be at home in the garage.

Pretty soon, your flight might start at your front door. A few companies are testing small electric air taxis. These tiny helicopters would fly without a pilot. You might call an air taxi with your cell phone, and a few minutes later, it would land softly in your driveway.

Fifteen minutes later, you’d arrive at the local airport, where you would meet the rest of your team and board an electric plane. An hour later, you’d almost be at the soccer field.

And the van? It’d be at home in the garage.