PAST MILESTONES IN FLIGHT
Milestones, in any fashion, are always being sought after. How fast can we travel? How can we build the tallest skyscraper? It seems as if we, as humans, are never satisfied with what we have, as a result, we have opportunities to create milestones. Reaching milestones in the world of flight have come, because of and in spite of, daring and imaginative thrill seekers. By pushing the limits of current thinking and, furthermore, being willing to try new things, flight milestones have shaped how we currently fly through the sky.
First Jet Flight
One of these milestones occurred in Germany on, August 27, 1939. Erich Warsitz became the first pilot to successfully fly a Jet plane, as a result a milestone was surpassed. His airplane, a Heinkel He 178, was powered by an 838-pound-static-thrust Heinkel HeS38 turbojet engine, designed by Hans von Ohain. Not fully trusting the plane nor the engine, Warsitz brought a wooden hammer that laid next to his pilot seat to use in case he had to escape the cockpit in mid-flight.
He took off from the Heinkel Airfield in Marieneke, Germany. Warsitz reached a speed of more than 400 mph. He remained airborne for seven minutes and as a result, successfully landed his jet aircraft. Upon landing, Warsitz reported only one engine malfunction while in the air: On takeoff, sucked in a bird!
First Helicopter Hoist Rescue
On November 28, 1945, the Texaco oil barge 397 was in trouble. The barge, with two men on board, had broken away from a tanker off Bridgeport Harbor, Connecticut, and was drifting away. After a few hours, the barge washed up on Penfield Reef. The men on the barge set off flares. Spotting them, a group of townspeople gathered on a beach. One person in the crowd had an idea: Sikorsky Aircraft was in nearby Bridgeport; perhaps a helicopter could be recruited to help, therefore setting in motion the scene for this milestone to be reached.
Sikorsky test pilot Jimmy Viner and a friend, Jackson E. Beighle, climbed into a helicopter and quickly flew to the barge. When the pilots saw the problem, they returned to the plant and got into an R-5 that had been recently equipped with a hoist. In conclusion, because of the bright and, most of all, quick thinking by these pilots, the first helicopter hoist rescue occurred. (original credit to: Air and Space Mag)
It’s Our Turn
The concept of flight has taken on many different shapes and speeds, but there is one thing that remains constant- the horizon line for flight has yet to be reached. It is our turn to be daring. The time is now to test the boundaries. It is our turn to be inspired and create the next milestone in flight. The Leonardo’s newest original exhibit entitled FLIGHT is a perfect place to come discover for the first time or rediscover again how man has taken to the skies. Come be inspired!