One Hundred Years of Flight USAF Chronology ... - The Air University
One Hundred Years of Flight USAF Chronology ... - The Air University
One Hundred Years of Flight USAF Chronology ... - The Air University
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PREFACE<br />
Commemorating the first century <strong>of</strong> aviation, this chronology is dedicated<br />
to the men and women who gave their lives to advance air and space flight. It<br />
includes significant air and space events since the Wright brothers first demonstrated<br />
in 1903 that humankind could fly in heavier-than-air machines.<br />
Although focused on the evolution <strong>of</strong> the United States <strong>Air</strong> Force (<strong>USAF</strong>), it<br />
also includes major developments in military, naval, civil, and international air<br />
power. *<br />
Until World War I, military leaders had conceived <strong>of</strong> the airplane primarily<br />
as a reconnaissance and artillery-spotting tool. By the end <strong>of</strong> 1918, however,<br />
the airplane was already performing other missions, including air superiority,<br />
strategic bombardment, interdiction, close air support, and airlift.<br />
Aviation continued to evolve after the war, as evidenced by increased aircraft<br />
ranges, altitudes, and speeds. <strong>The</strong>se growing capabilities allowed transcontinental<br />
and transoceanic flights as well as encouraged airline service and<br />
airmail. <strong>The</strong> U.S. Navy commissioned its first aircraft carrier in 1922. <strong>The</strong><br />
U.S. Army <strong>Air</strong> Service made the first flight around the world in 1924,<br />
demonstrating the global reach <strong>of</strong> air power. Metal monoplanes featuring<br />
enclosed cockpits and retractable landing gear replaced fabric-skinned,<br />
open-cockpit biplanes with fixed wheels. <strong>The</strong> Army <strong>Air</strong> Corps, established in<br />
1926, developed large, long-range bombers and a doctrine for their use.<br />
World War II accelerated advances in aviation technology that saw production<br />
<strong>of</strong> faster, larger, higher-flying, and longer-range airplanes. Japan’s<br />
surrender shortly after the first atomic bombs fell on Hiroshima and<br />
Nagasaki demonstrated that air power could be decisive in the outcome <strong>of</strong><br />
wars. Jet aircraft, ballistic and cruise missiles, pressurized cabins, and radar<br />
were all legacies <strong>of</strong> the war. So too were the introductions <strong>of</strong> airborne operations,<br />
the helicopter as a military vehicle, and global air transport.<br />
Recognizing the growing importance <strong>of</strong> aviation to national defense,<br />
Congress created an independent <strong>USAF</strong> in September 1947, just two years<br />
after World War II. That same year, Capt. Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager, <strong>USAF</strong>,<br />
pioneered supersonic flight. Almost immediately the new <strong>Air</strong> Force proved<br />
its worth by saving the western sectors <strong>of</strong> Berlin from Communist aggression<br />
with the largest airlift in history (1948–49). <strong>Air</strong> power won the first battle <strong>of</strong><br />
the Cold War.<br />
*References in the <strong>Chronology</strong> to the <strong>Air</strong> Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps are to United States forces<br />
unless otherwise specified.<br />
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