Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, which are machines that fly through the air. The field covers airliners and private planes, military jets, helicopters, gliders, balloons, airships, and uncrewed aircraft. Aviation is a major part of modern transportation and draws on Physics, Engineering, and Aerospace engineering. Aviation related content is organized and developed on this page.
History
People dreamed of flight for thousands of years, but practical human flight began in France in 1783. That year the Montgolfier brothers, Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Etienne, demonstrated a hot air balloon, and on 21 November 1783 Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier and the Marquis d'Arlandes made the first crewed free flight in a Montgolfier balloon over Paris. Hydrogen balloons followed within weeks. During the nineteenth century, inventors such as George Cayley and Otto Lilienthal studied wings and flew gliders, building the knowledge that powered flight would need.
On 17 December 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first sustained, controlled, powered flights of a heavier than air aircraft near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Their key insight was a practical system of three axis control. Aircraft improved quickly after that, and the First World War pushed rapid advances in engines, structures, and production.
The period between the world wars brought airmail, the first scheduled passenger services, and long distance record flights. The jet age began when the German Heinkel He 178 flew on jet power in 1939. After the Second World War, jet airliners such as the de Havilland Comet and the Boeing 707 made fast international travel common, and wide body aircraft later lowered the cost of flying for millions of people. Commercial aviation is now a global industry that links almost every country.
Aviation also led directly into spaceflight. Rocket research, high speed experimental aircraft, and aerospace engineering expertise helped make possible the space age that began in 1957. Today aviation and space activity are often grouped together as the aerospace sector.
Alongside these milestones, supporting systems grew up around flight. Radio navigation, radar, weather forecasting, and air traffic control allowed aircraft to fly safely in poor visibility and in crowded skies. Large airports developed into complex hubs with runways, terminals, cargo centers, and maintenance bases. Computers and satellite navigation later changed how aircraft are designed, flown, and managed, and modern airliners rely heavily on automated flight systems that assist the crew.
How aircraft fly
Four forces act on an aircraft in flight:
- Lift is the upward force, produced mainly by the wings as air flows over and under them.
- Weight is the downward pull of gravity on the aircraft, its fuel, and its load.
- Thrust is the forward force, produced by propellers, jet engines, or rotors.
- Drag is the resistance of the air that opposes motion.
For steady, level flight, lift balances weight and thrust balances drag. Pilots change these forces using engine power and control surfaces such as ailerons, elevators, and rudders. Balloons and airships work differently: they float because they are filled with a gas lighter than the surrounding air.
Types of aviation
- Commercial aviation covers airlines that carry passengers and freight for payment on scheduled or charter flights. See Commercial aviation.
- General aviation includes all civil flying other than scheduled airline service, such as private flying, flight training, business jets, crop spraying, and air ambulance work.
- Military aviation uses aircraft for defense, transport, surveillance, and rescue.
- Cargo aviation moves high value and time sensitive goods, either in dedicated freighters or in the holds of passenger aircraft.
- Drones and uncrewed aircraft are flown remotely or autonomously. They are used for photography, mapping, inspection, agriculture, delivery trials, and research.
Aircraft types
- Fixed wing aircraft, such as airplanes, generate lift with wings that do not move relative to the body.
- Rotorcraft, such as helicopters and autogyros, generate lift with rotating blades and can often take off and land vertically.
- Gliders have no engine in normal flight and use rising air to stay aloft.
- Balloons rise using heated air or a light gas and drift with the wind.
- Airships are lighter than air craft with engines and steering, so they can travel in a chosen direction.
Safety and regulation
Because aircraft cross borders, aviation depends on international rules. The Convention on International Civil Aviation, signed in Chicago on 7 December 1944 and known as the Chicago Convention, set out the basic principles of international air travel and led to the creation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations agency that develops global standards. National and regional authorities then certify aircraft, license pilots and mechanics, and oversee airlines. Examples include the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in Europe.
Careful design, pilot training, maintenance programs, air traffic control, and the study of past accidents have made commercial air travel one of the safest forms of transport when measured per distance traveled.
Environmental impact and future
Aircraft burn fuel and release carbon dioxide and other emissions at high altitude, and airports produce noise, so the industry faces pressure to reduce its environmental impact. Current efforts include more efficient engines and airframes, improved flight routes, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is made from sources such as waste oils or other renewable feedstocks and can be blended with conventional jet fuel. Researchers are also testing electric and hydrogen powered aircraft, especially for shorter routes. Battery weight limits the range of electric aircraft, while hydrogen requires new ways to store fuel on board and supply it at airports, so both technologies are still being studied and tested. Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) are being developed for possible air taxi services in cities.
Careers and learning
Aviation offers many careers, including pilot, air traffic controller, aircraft maintenance technician, aerospace engineer, flight attendant, dispatcher, and airport manager. Most of these roles require specialized training and a license or certificate from an aviation authority. Students can prepare by studying mathematics, physics, and Electrical engineering basics, and by joining flying clubs, model aircraft groups, or museum programs. Many aviation museums, including the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, offer exhibits and educational resources that explain the history and science of flight.
Projects and resources
Learning materials and learning projects can be used by multiple departments.
This wiki has adopted an applied model for education. Lessons should be centered around active learning.
Select a descriptive name for each new link. See naming conventions.