Welcome aboard! The history of aviation is filled with dreamers, risk-takers, and people determined to take flight. Everyone at Monmouth Executive Airport is passionate about flying. That’s why we work at a privately owned, public-use airport in New Jersey! Being only ten minutes from the Shore is simply an added benefit.
Travel with us as we investigate the history of airplanes. We learn more about the Wright Brothers, the first supersonic passenger-carrying airplane, and the first American female pilot. We also share a bit about our airport’s rich history.
History of Airplanes
The early history of unmanned aircraft includes kite-flying in ancient China around 2000 BC and the “aerial screw” design of Leonardo da Vinci in the late 1480s, which is a precursor of the helicopter we know today. Human beings have always been fascinated with flight, and the first occupied hot-air balloon took flight in 1783 in France. Benjamin Franklin, one of our Founding Fathers, witnessed some of these early balloon flights.
George Cayley, an English nobleman, proposed various aircraft concepts at the beginning of the 19th century, including gliders and several types of airplanes. He eventually earned the title of “Father of Aeronautics” as he named the balance of four forces influencing aircraft flight: lift, weight, thrust, and drag.
History of Passenger Aircraft
Two Midwestern bicycle shop owners are responsible for the beginning of passenger flight in America – the Wright Brothers. Orville and Wilbur Wright’s experimentation led to the first manned airplane in 1903. Their basic design and elements are still used in planes today. Aircraft developments sped forward, with metal fatigue identified as one of the causes of an airplane crash.
By 1958, a Boeing 707 made the first nonstop transcontinental and transatlantic passenger flight. The world’s first supersonic passenger-carrying commercial airplane, the Concorde, made its mark in the aviation history books in 1969. It had a take-off speed of 220 knots (250 mph) and a cruising speed of 1350 mph – more than twice the speed of sound. It flew from London to New York in less than three and a half hours.
American Aviation History Timeline
What would aviation in America be without the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)? They keep us safe, after all. Flying has become much safer since controllers stood on the field and waved flags to communicate with pilots. Here are some interesting facts about our country’s aviation history.
- 1909: College Park Airport is founded by the Wright Brothers and is the world’s oldest continuously operated airport.
- 1910: Blanche “Betty” Stuart Scott becomes the first American woman to fly a plane.
- 1925: The lease is signed for the world’s busiest airport today – Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL).
- 1932: Amelia Earhart is the second person after Charles Lindbergh to fly nonstop and solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
Monmouth Executive Airport: Then and Now
If you’ve never heard of Ed Brown, we are not surprised, but he plays a large role in the history of our airport. Ed bought a tract of land in Wall Township, New Jersey, in 1938. It is said he cleared the property himself by towing a section of steel railroad track behind a World War I army tank loaned to him by the American Legion. Then, he taught himself to fly and served as a navy pilot in World War II before returning to Wall Township and his beloved airport.
Our story starts a few years after Ed passed away. Today, Monmouth Executive Airport is world-class, with two runways, of which one is the longest private runway in the country! We serve modern aircraft with a range of FBO services and are home to flight schools and private jet aircraft charter services.
Monmouth Executive Airport is only a 20-minute helicopter ride or a one-hour drive from the center of Manhattan. We hope you enjoyed the flight through the history of aviation. Contact us today for more information on our airport and services.