National Aviation Week helps bring to light all the achievements of Aviation

MONROE, La. (KTVE/KARD) —

National Aviation Week is this week starting on National Aviation Day, which was August 19th, and ending 6 days after on the 25th. This day and week is to help commemorate the accomplishments and achievements of aviation, that helped us be able to fly.

August 19th was originally named National Aviation Day because it is on Orville Wright’s birthday. Orville Wright and his brother were the first two pilots to fly, back in 1903, flying for 12 seconds and 120 feet. This accomplishment was the first of many as aviation started to grow and advance.

From a 12 second flight to going into space, there are many daring planes and adventures that have come with aviation. Small planes, big planes, fighter planes and jets, commercial flight, unmanned vehicles, and space are just some of the achievements along this 121 year journey of advancement.

Really and truly, when you about it, its just an incredible advancement. I think we’ll probably never ever see the advancement in aviation that a lot of people, including myself, have been able to witness in our lifetime.

Nell Calloway | CEO President of the Chennault Aviation & Military Museum.

Aviation has many different routes of being able to grow and develop, especially with all the technological advances of the new age. Unmanned commercial flights, unmanned vehicles like drones to deliver packages, and continued space exploration means aviation will not be leaving anytime soon.

So aviation is going nowhere, it’s only going to continue to advance, but it’s gone beyond this world, into the outer space world. And so I think that’s something we have to think about, and now we have the unmanned aircraft, that are so important, the drones.

Nell Calloway | CEO President of the Chennault Aviation & Military Museum.

Monroe has a deep rooted history with aviation. It only felt right to talk to Nell Calloway at the Chennault Aviation and Military Museum about the history of aviation, especially here in Monroe.

Crop dusters that turned into passenger flight then into, what we now know as Delta Airlines, to a top tier Navigation school that developed many navigators early on. General Claire Chennault’s tactical pursuit method’s are also one of kind, deep rooted in north Louisiana, and is still used today with the newer fighter jets.

It’s always good to celebrate aviation, because just think about it, what would we be today without aviation. One of the things, I’m really proud of about the museum is we have such a rich history of aviation here in our area.

Nell Calloway | CEO President of the Chennault Aviation & Military Museum.

There are roots of aviation all across the country and world, that will continue to develop as newer technology comes out.

So, next time you fly out, just remember what aviation is, how it started out and what it has become today and honor those accomplishments and the people involved. If you want to learn more about aviation and help celebrate it you can visit the Chennault Aviation and Military Museum here in Monroe or visit their website here.