Average Travel Plane example essay topic

In 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright flew the first airplane in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The brothers, who were bicycle makers, designed and flew the machine themselves, and powered their creation with the internal combustion engine. The plane stayed in the air for only a few seconds, as it was weak and shaky. The Wright brothers' first flight was the start of the popularity of airplanes. Their seconds-long voyage was the beginning of modern transportation and warfare methods, not to mention the careers and dreams of many young pilots. One such pilot was Charles Lindbergh, a talented pilot, mechanic, and barnstormer.

He heard of a $25,000 offer to the first pilot to fly from New York to Paris nonstop, and he decided that he was up to the challenge. He carefully planned his voyage, and departed solo on May 19, 1927, from Long Island in a custom-designed, one-engine plane called "Spirit of St. Louis". He arrived in Paris on May 20, 1927, as the nation's newest hero. His 3,600-mile voyage took 33.5 hours, a laughable length of time today. However, Lindbergh stands out as one of the greatest pilots of all time.

His plane, "The Spirit of St. Louis", can still be seen today at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Another audacious young pilot was Amelia Earhart, who in 1928 became the first woman to fly on a plane across the Atlantic. She did so as a passenger on the aircraft "Friendship". She became famous immediately, and she received many honors, such as being appointed as the Assistant to the General Traffic Manager at Transcontinental Air Transport (known today as TWA). She also developed a cross-country women's plane race and organized the Ninety-Nines, a famous women's pilot's organization. Also, in 1932, Amelia flew across the Atlantic again, solo this time, and breaking many records in the process: she was the first woman to fly solo across this ocean and the only person to have done it two times. Amelia had dreams to fly around the world, but unfortunately she failed in 1937 when her plane went down off the coast of Howland Island, near Nuku manu in Hawaii.

She still has not been found, but organizations such as the Earhart project are still investigating what might have happened to her. The airplane has drastically affected society today. For one thing, it was the beginning of modern warfare -- World War I was the first war in which pilots used planes to shoot machine guns at the enemy. These planes were also useful for observing the enemy lines from up above, to see what they were up to, and to better pinpoint and aim bombs. Also, the airplanes were useful for bombing the weapon-making factories from up above so that the enemies' weapons could be destroyed more efficiently. In all of the major American wars that have been fought throughout history, there have generally been more combat deaths in the ones fought in the 20th century, which used the airplane, than in those fought before the airplane was invented.

America still uses planes today in defense against other countries, and an Air Force has been formed to defend the country from the air. There are also boundaries in the sky marking where foreign planes can fly. Pilots such as Earhart and Lindbergh played a huge role in popularizing the airplane. After their famous flights, people started realizing that flying through the skies was, in fact, possible, fast, and safe. These amazing aviators inspired many other people to try flying, and thereby its popularity soared. This invention has drastically improved transportation.

Before this invention, the fastest mode of transportation was the train. With the invention of the airplane, people could travel long distances in a shorter amount of time, and could travel overseas without all of the hassles of going by boat. Airplanes are also the safest mode of transportation -- statistically, the risk of being in a fatal airplane accident are approximately one in three million. Also, according to a 1993-1995 study, it is 22 times safer to fly in a commercial jet than to travel by car. Nowadays, there is an airport in almost every major city in the United States, and there are many airlines around the world. This major industry provides jobs for many, such as pilots and flight attendants.

Obviously, the planes we travel on today are much different than the ones used back then. Over the years, the design of the commercial airplane has been constantly made better. Today, the average travel plane comprises six million parts, and one wing has an area of 56,000 square feet and weighs 28,000 pounds. The Wright brothers' first aircraft weighed 750 pounds with the pilot inside and had a 40-foot wingspan.

Today, most commercial aircrafts can stay airborne for at least twelve hours and cover thousands of miles, while the Wright Brother's plane had only a 59-second maximum duration and 850 feet maximum distance. In fact, the brothers' flight could have been flown within the boundaries of the 150-foot economy portion of an average Boeing 747. This stronger design allows for safer and more comfortable travel. If the airplane had not been invented, people today would not be able to get where they wanted to go in efficient amounts of time. Today, families can enjoy many parts of the world that they would not ordinarily be able to see without traveling on an airplane. Overseas travel is made much easier by the plane; the risk of accident is less, and planes can fly thousands of miles faster than the average travel ship.

Families in the United States can visit places all over Europe and Asia, on the other side of the world, without having to take a lot of time traveling. They will be able to experience different cultures and people of the globe. Today's industry also thrives on fast commerce; if we did not have airplanes, goods would not be shipped as fast from one country to another. Moving goods by air helps countries trade products more effectively than by ship because the airplane can cover distances much faster. Air trade helps the industries and economies worldwide, and contributes to the wealth that many countries enjoy. Although airplanes have improved modern warfare, they obviously can be dangerous.

Without airplanes, a number of horrific events of war may not have taken place, such as the dropping of an American bomb on the Japanese island of Hiroshima during World War II and the terrorist attacks of September 11. No person can know for sure what our world would be like if these events had never occurred, but thousands of deaths could have been prevented, and perhaps the world would be more peaceful. On the whole, airplanes have drastically improved society. They have made transportation quick, safe, and easy. They have speeded up trade and helped economies all over the world. They have changed the way wars are fought.

Overall, the airplane is a fantastic machine that today's society could not do without. 1. web 2. web 3. web 4. web 5. web 6. web 7. web.