Wings #6

Wings #6

Carissa Wolfe

1. The single most important impact I believe aviation had on our world was teaching us how expansive the earth and the universe are. At first, one could easily think that being able to traverse the globe by air and reach distant planets would make our universe seem smaller, in the sense that it becomes more manageable. However, I believe quite the opposite happened in the first 100 years of aviation. History teaches us that society was split initially when it came to flight. Some thought it would mean an absence of God, others thought it would bring war, and still others thought it would bring peace. In the end, aviation brought both war and peace, but it could not bring an absence of God. In fact, as aviation flourishes we begin to realize how much further we have to go, and that no matter how far we do go we can never reach the edges of our universe. Aviation has opened our eyes to other cultures and ways of life. It has aided in the transport of goods and people. It has united countries and served in their conflicts. Aviation alone is neither good nor evil; it is only a grand means to accomplish whatever lies in the heart of man. It is simple to go through life unaware of anyone or anything outside where a car could take you. This kind of life is less complicated, less messy, and less frightening. On the other hand, that life is less diverse, less interesting, and less beautiful. Aviation has prevented us from living in the simplicity of ignorance and opened our eyes to the infinite wonder of creation.

2. The future of 21^st century aviation holds bigger and more terrible things than what I dare to imagine. I do not doubt that there will be many beneficial discoveries and exploration into the expanses of space, but I don’t think that those advancements will be predominant. The terrorist attacks of 2001 serve as a warning to inevitable global conflict. It can be certain that aviation will serve as a catalyst in whatever is to come. This seems dismal, I know, but I’m willing to bet that even though all countries were supposed to do away with nuclear weapons in the 90s, most countries still have some hidden. It is this lack of trust and pervasive threat that will eventually lead to mass destruction as tensions climax. Planes and guided missiles will become faster and more accurate. The damage mankind was capable of at the end of World War II with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are nothing compared to what we could do with today’s technology. I hope that my predictions are proven to be wrong, but based on the current issues seen around the world, we are headed in that direction.