Since the first flying machine, the airplane has not only come a long way, but has fundamentally revolutionized human life. Let us take a look back on the history of the flying machine.
 
It's on Thursday, December 17, 1903 date during which the Wright brothers succeeded for the first time, the first machine powered flight. It was the Flyer.

Orville Wright was at the controls of the device, and will succeed to fly this aircraft attaining a height of 36 meters. Three more flights followed, with the latter being the most efficient covering a distance of 260 meters. These flights took place without any witnesses and the world was not informed that a man had successfully flown a machine heavier than air.

Its only three years later on 23 October 1906 that the world realized that "something heavier than air" could fly. The Brazilian Alberto Santos-Dumont operated a flight covering 60 meters. These feats took place before thousands of wondering eyes and newspapers around the world published pictures. Three weeks later, Alberto Santos-Dumont covered 220 meters at the control of the same device, named the "14 bis". His plane was nicknamed "duck" as the body was structured to the front while the wings were at the back, giving the impression of a duck in flight.
Then on November 10, 1907, Henry Farman became the first in the world to perform a flight of more than a minute. The same pilot (with the same plane) operated the first flight covering a kilometer on January 13, 1908. Both performances enabled Henry Fannan get the 50,000 French francs as a reward from Deutsch/Archdeacon Aviation price. But bigger changes were being prepared...

On 25 July 1909 the Frenchman Louis Bleriot, onboard his "Bleriot XI", equipped with a 25 horsepower engine, managed to cross a Channel in 37 minutes. This was a real achievement. Research continued in the direction of flying not only faster, but also climb to a higher altitude since at that time, airplanes flew at an average speed of 66 km / h and still could not reach the 1000 m altitude. A major innovation saw the light of day, with the invention of the seaplane or "airplane sailor". It was the Frenchman Henri Fabre who succeeded taking off this machine from a body of water, on 28 March 1910. For a long time, the aircraft flew faster than the normal aircraft. On the eve of the First World War, the seaplane could fly 1021 km nonstop and reaching 8150 m altitude. During the war (1914-1918), Germany will produce 48 537 planes, France 51 040 aircraft. Other countries like the US, Britain and Italy will also produce many aircraft that participate in various battles.
Find ideal transport aircraft.

When the war ended November 11, 1918, all participating nations, had realized the enormous possibilities and benefits of military aviation. It was now about transforming the war weapon into a profitable venture, setting the rules of its use by ensuring the security of air traffic on new routes around the world. Douglas, Boeing, Breguet, Farman, Caudron, Liore and Olivier were now racing to find the ideal transport aircraft. The first airlines to emerge will be in Germany with the Deutsche Luft Reederei, the British Aerial Transport in England, the « society belge the exploitation de la navigation Adrienne (SABENA) in Belgium, the Farman lines in France.
In 1919, was established the first regular air service. This was the Toulouse - Rabat air link which will later be extended to Dakar and South America. May 20, 1927, Charles Lindbergh, onboard the “Spirit of St. Louis”, carried out the first successful New York-Paris flight in 33 hours and 30 minutes flight. This was the first transatlantic flight (west to east) nonstop. From 1931, the adventurous character of aviation will gradually give way to a routine: whereby the explorer is replaced by the flight captain; unforeseen by the respect of flight schedule.

Aviation will become in real terms, a great principled organization, utilizing scientific logic whereby there is not much space for chance. Thanks to the DC3 whose first model was manufactured in 1936 with over 11000 types built, the airline business became profitable. This aircraft which had the capacity to carry 21 passengers and could fly at a cruise speed of 340km / h, was the most successful at that time. After the Second World War, various air of a transport means will multiply and improve. The jet engine will replace the propeller engines and aircraft will always be faster, safer, and carry more passengers and cargo. After the DC3s, the Boeing 707s will arrive, the DC8s, the caravels and even jets.

The 70s and 80s will see increased competition from manufacturers Airbus and Boeing. We will witness the birth of giant aircraft (Boeing 747, 777, Airbus A380) and the supersonic aircraft. Aircraft accidents will be significantly reduced and the airplane will emerge as the safest and fastest means of transport. Therefore, it is now possible to have breakfast in New York, meet in Paris around a lunch table to discuss business at noon, go to Italy in the afternoon and finally spend the night in Hong - Kong or in Yaounde. This, thanks to the progress made in aviation.

Joel WADEM
Journalist
Chef Cell Communication CCAA