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History of Aviation · From Balloons to the Jet Age

A Complete History of Flight

From the Wright Brothers to the modern jet. Trace the story era by era, meet the aircraft that defined each age, and explore the airlines, airports and the disasters that shaped how we fly.

1903→
First powered flight
4
Eras of flight
Air & Sea
Civil & military

The Story of Flight

The history, era by era

Four ages of aviation — from the first fragile hops off the ground to the jet-powered world we fly in today.

The History
to 1918Wright Flyerphotograph — Wright Flyer
The History

The Pioneer Years

Balloons, gliders and the Wright Brothers' first powered flight.

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1919–1938Douglas DC-1photograph — Douglas DC-1
The History

The Golden Age

Barnstormers, record-breakers and the dawn of the airliner.

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1939–1945WWII bombing raidphotograph — WWII air raid
The History

World War II

Air power comes of age over Europe and the Pacific.

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1946–TodayModern military jetsphotograph — modern jets
The History

The Modern Age

Jets, the sound barrier and the age of mass air travel.

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Machines of the Air

The aircraft that defined each age

Profiles of the planes themselves — the fighters, bombers and airliners that carried the century aloft.

The Aircraft
Interwar aircraftphotograph — interwar aircraft
The Aircraft

The Interwar Years

The biplanes and early monoplanes that bridged the two wars.

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F6F Hellcatsphotograph — F6F Hellcats
The Aircraft

World War II

The fighters and bombers that ruled the skies, 1939–1945.

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B-2 Spiritphotograph — B-2 Spirit
The Aircraft

The Modern Age

From the first jets to stealth — the aircraft of the postwar world.

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The Business of Flight

Airlines, airports & disasters

How flight became an industry — the carriers, the great gateways they fly from, and the accidents that reshaped how we fly.

Airlinerphotograph — airliner
Airlines

History of Airlines

How the carriers grew from fragile mail routes to global networks.

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Kennedy Airportphotograph — airport terminal
Airports

History of Airports

The great gateways of the air age and how they were built.

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photograph — aviation disaster
Safety

Aviation Disasters

The accidents that changed aviation safety forever.

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