How Did a Wild West Showman Help Pioneer Manned Flight?

In the spirit of #TBT (“Throwback Thursday,” not Brazil’s Tabatinga Airport) FlyerTalk takes a look back at the events that helped shape modern aviation. Here are just a few moments from history that changed the face of the industry during the week of August 2.

 

August 2, 1990

Despite military actions in Kuwait, British Airways Flight 149 was allowed to make its scheduled stopover at Kuwait International Airport (KWI) while en route to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Boeing 747 would never make it to its destination, as invading Iraqi forces seized the aircraft and took everyone hostage.

One person onboard, a member of the Kuwaiti Royal Family, was killed by the Iraqis. Although the aircraft was destroyed, the surviving 384 hostages were later freed. Immediately after the incident, conspiracy theories speculated that the flight was staged as a reason to include Britain in the military conflict. 

August 3, 2000

As part of the next-generation 737 program, Boeing celebrated the test flight of the first 737-900. The 138-foot aircraft could accommodate up to 177 passengers across two classes of service.

During its testing period, the 737-900 would rack up 649 hours in the air over the course of 296 flights prior to launching with Alaska Airlines. 

August 4, 1908

While embroiled in a technology war with inventor Glenn Curtis, Wilbur Wright made the Wright Brothers’ first public exhibition flight in Le Mans, France. The flight was followed by Orville Wright’s first public flight in Fort Myer, Virginia.

The test flights were credited with giving the Wright Brothers a noted advantage in the early aviation technology wars. 

August 5, 1989

After a bidding war for Piedmont Airlines ended with USAir buying the carrier, the two airlines officially merged into one company. With the merge, USAir grew their staff by 22,000 employees and over 400 aircraft from Piedmont.

At the time, analysts said it was the only way for both Piedmont and USAir to compete with the three American legacy carriers: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. 

August 6, 1966

After allowing Braniff Flight 250 to depart from Omaha despite thunderstorms, the BAC 1-11 crashed into a farm near Falls City, Nebraska. All 42 souls aboard the aircraft were killed as a result of the accident.

An investigation into the crash determined extreme turbulence to be the cause of the accident, causing an in-flight structural failure. The airline also discovered their meteorological readings were inaccurate, underestimating the location and intensity of the storms.

British Aircraft Corporation, manufacturer of the aircraft, would later hire Dr. Ted Fujita to study how weather affected their jet. 

August 7, 1913

Aviation pioneer and Wild West showman Samuel Cody was killed in an accident during a test flight of his experimental aircraft, the Cody Floatplane. Cody is noted as the first man to take flight in an aircraft over Great Britain, conducting many aircraft experiments in British skies between 1908 and 1913.

Cody, born Samuel Franklin Cowerdy, was buried with full military honors in light of his contributions to aviation.

August 8, 2007

After a year of setup, Virgin America celebrated its first commercial flights from Los Angeles and New York to San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Initial service for the American version of the international airline brand focused on five daily flights from SFO to Los Angeles, and two flights to New York.

Today, Virgin America serves over 20 destinations across the United States and Mexico.

 

[Photo: Imperial War Museum; © IWM (RAE-O 298)]