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Aviation In World War 1

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Aviation in World War One The first widespread use of aerial warfare. Military aviation began in the 1860’s, during the American Civil War, when both sides used balloons to observe each other (Winchester 2007). On December 17, 1903, the American brothers Wright took the first successful flight in history. The idea of flying was thought impossible to many but it had always been a dream of mankind. A dream had become reality. World War One (1914-1918) was the first “conflict where aircraft was involved on a large scale, playing a significant role.” Fighter aircrafts would scout the enemy’s territory to discover weak points and exposed flanks in the enemy’s lines. Bombing by the first planes was extremely primitive, as the pilots would aim the missile and then drop it by hand. Although these airplanes were helpful in receiving information about the enemy, the production of airplanes was expensive and time-consuming. The risk pilots took in flying the simple aircrafts in World War One was immense. “An average British pilot had a life expectancy of about seventy hours when flying along the Western front” , and the aircrafts were often too small to include a parachute. The first successful air combats took place within weeks of the outbreak of the Great War. The Royal Flying Corps (RFC, formed in 1912) met the German Air Service and forced them down (Winchester 2007). …show more content…

https://www.bl.uk/world-war-one/articles/aerial-warfare-during-world-war-one. Accessed 3 February 2017. Lucht –en Ruimtevaart. Het Aanzien Van: vijfenzeventig jaar vlieghistorie in beeld. Utrecht/Antwerpen: Uitgeverij Het Spectrum, 1978. p.34. “Pros and Cons of WW1 Airplanes. ” https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-were-pros-cons-wwi-airplanes-603857 Accessed 3 February 2017. Winchester, Jim. A Chronology of Aviation, A Day-By-Day History of A Century Of Powered Flight. London: Amber Books, 2013. pp.

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