Aviation History

TIME PASSAGES

FROM THE COCKPIT

At first glance, there’s nothing extraordinary about this photograph. It just shows an older man about to climb into an airplane that belongs to the United States Army Air Forces.

Once you learn more about the photo, though, it becomes apparent that it tells us a lot about how rapidly aviation has advanced.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Aviation History

Aviation History6 min read
Black Programs
Like the forbidden fruit that triggers human nature’s craving for a bite, the secrecy surrounding the storied air base at Groom Lake in Nevada’s rugged high desert north of Las Vegas accentuates the desire of aviation enthusiasts to get a peek. In wh
Aviation History12 min read
Engines Not Required
“Commandos on Wings” ran the headline of the article in Washington’s Evening Star on November 1, 1942. The sub-head read, “They are Uncle Sam’s glider troops, who drop silently out of the sky, seize airfields, blow up bridges and ammunition dumps.” T
Aviation History1 min read
Pole Dancer
It is an ignominious fate for any airplane, impaled on a pole at what appears to be an abandoned junkyard. Photographer Carol M. Highsmith captured this image of a long-past-its-prime Beechcraft Bonanza outside Mannford, Oklahoma, in December 2020. ■

Related Books & Audiobooks