Presented by Bruce Phillips
Ever wonder why humans wanted to fly, despite being ill-equipped for it? Certainly, early human efforts relied on studying how birds fly, the outcomes often injurious or fatal. Today, more people board airplanes than ever before. In these two presentations, we will discuss the following subjects: (i) the early history of aviation, (ii) the forces acting on an airplane during flight, (iii) airplane devices and instruments employed to maintain safety, (iv) the ground-based services, including radar surveillance, of aircraft in flight, and (v) mistakes made by pilots and air traffic controllers that contribute to accidents. Lastly (vi), we will consider the role of the FAA in maintaining safety for all airplanes during ground or flight operations.