Editorial Team

It’s easy to forget this when you cram into a passenger liner, but aviation is still a relatively new field. The past century or so of aviation has included many spectacular firsts and broken barriers. Here are some of the best history-defining moments of aviation history. The heady early days of aviation were full of

After the invention of airplanes in the 1900s and the refinement of flight in the 1910s, including the first widespread usage of aviation for military purposes, the 1920s ushered in a new era for planes. Mass fascination with flying took off as much as the development of new, innovative technological models. Here are some of

The life of a flight attendant seems glamorous. They get to jet around the world, earn money for traveling, and have some pretty neat uniforms. However, the job comes with plenty of drawbacks, including long hours, time away from family, and dealing with difficult passengers on a regular basis. So, is being a flight attendant

The 1930s were the second half of what is commonly known as the Golden Age of Aviation. As in the 1920s, rapid developments in technology and investment in aviation that didn’t stop even during the Great Depression made air travel more common. However, what was it like to get on a plane in the 1930s?

Look at old warplanes, and you’ll probably notice some major differences between them and modern models. The designs are clunkier and vintage. The paint jobs are also different and more whimsical, including targets often painted on many models. That seems counterintuitive—isn’t the point that armies don’t want the enemy to hit the plane? The targets

Planes have all sorts of parts that you might not expect to be found on the machine. Many moving parts combine to make a wing alone. The wing of an airplane is not the simple, sleek extension of the body it seems to be at first glance but has several components, including the winglets. Winglets

The thought of seeing your pilot out of the cockpit feels just as wrong as the thought of seeing your elementary school teachers in their pajamas at the grocery store. However, it comes with the added element of danger as you wonder who is flying the plane! Are pilots allowed to be out of the

Driving at night comes with its own challenges, but you’re still able to see the road thanks to headlights and streetlamps. However, there is no lighting for the road in the sky, and planes don’t come equipped with headlights. How are pilots able to make overnight flights? The short answer is that the way pilots

Frequent flyers are often torn between what’s better: the window or the aisle seat. However, few people stop to think about why planes have windows at all. What’s the point when you can’t open them for fresh air, and there’s usually not much to see outside except for during takeoff or landing? It turns out

The life of a pilot involves a lot of adjusting to rules and regulations that the airline has, including where they live. Airlines have several bases that act as hubs for their operations and for flights that pilots and cabin crew go on. Living and working around a base is a big adjustment, so you