Ricker WINGS #2

2. How did this new field of aviation affect science?

According to Tom Crouch in his text Wings, just because men knew how to fly didn’t mean that they understood how it all worked (124).  Yes, these early inventors were intelligent scientists, but their original focus was on honing the airplane in order to achieve their desired results rather than delving deeper into the “physical principles” of flight in general (Crouch 124).  But like so many scientific discoveries of the time, there were multiple researchers working on understanding various components of aerodynamics (or the “science of flying”) during this period.  For instance, scientists of this era made discoveries about lift, drag, acceleration, and fluid dynamics (Crouch 125).  In addition, breakthroughs were made in the study of “boundary layers,” and other principles connected to “wing theory” (Crouch 125).  The significance of these advances is that men were able to put the information to use by expanding production and transitioning from scientific experiments into the business world.

7. What was the cult of the heroic airman?

Just as the initial aviators were people admired and respected for their skill and bravery, airmen of World War I were elevated to hero status, says Tom Crouch in his text Wings (156).  Military brass soon discovered that airplanes were of excellent use as weapons of reconnaissance.  As such, the first aviators to be used during WWI focused on making it back safely with useful information about enemy troop movements and deployments.  Soon, airmen began firing at each other using pistols and rifles, but this was largely ineffective and slightly dangerous to the man shooting the weapon (Crouch 157).  Eventually, though, airmen of the era became adept at air to air and air to ground combat which propelled them to superstar status.  Because the war was so atrocious and so many men were losing their lives, the rising status of airmen gave the masses something positive and encouraging to focus on.  Says Crouch, “the French needed heroes”(156).  The World War I “flying aces” were unique in that they usually flew solo and, therefore, stood on their own merits.  Many of these men had similar qualities, says Crouch, that made them dynamic such as “a hunter’s aggressive instincts, an awareness of the constantly changing positions of all participants in an aerial combat, a determination to persevere, and absolute self-confidence” (163).  The significance of the heroic airmen is that they inspired more interest in flying, gave their war-weary fellow citizens something to cheer about, and bolstered the military’s drive to make the airplane the next great weapon.

10. When does the author mark the beginning of civil aviation and why?

According to Wings author Tom Crouch, “1919 marked the beginnings of world civil aviation” (204).  After WWI and some successful long-distance flights, and advances in weather forecasting, it became obvious that the airline industry would only be growing, and that eventually there would be transport of goods and people possible throughout the world.  Therefore, it was important and necessary for governments to develop rules and restrictions regarding each country’s sovereign airspace and how and when airships could enter it (if at all).  An initial treaty called the “International Convention on Air Navigation,” signed by “representatives of twenty-seven nations, including the United States,” called for agreement to honor each country’s airspace and to be bound by the other regulations spelled out in the agreement (Crouch 204).  The significance of this concept of regulating airspace is that it allowed each country to develop scheduled air transportation services.  This opened up many business opportunities for travel (both for business and pleasure), for the distribution of goods, and even for the improvement of mail deliveries (Crouch 206-07).