All Stories

The first pioneering pilots flew the airways during the day without purpose-designed maps. This presented a problem for the U.S. Post Office: Without flying at night, airmail was slower than by railroad and the higher cost of air transport had no value.

In the wake of the Black Sox Scandal, Baseball was looking to restore its integrity with a leader with his feet firmly on the ground. They elected Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis as the first Commissioner (or “Czar”) of Baseball.  A long-serving jurist from Chicago, Landis was known for his decisions against big businesses, such as Standard Oil, and for slipping out to Cubs and White Sox games.  But Landis also had his head in the clouds, a true aviation enthusiast!

Earhart's red Lockheed Vega was the plane she set many of her records in. Looking closely at the object tells a story. 

Bessie Coleman's legacy as the first African American woman to earn a pilot’s license has impacted and inspired flight students for decades.

Bragg was a pioneer African American pilot whose leadership in Black pilot organizations in the 1930s paved the way for other aviators. 

The use of aircraft in smuggling was not simply a niche application, but a booming business through Prohibition and beyond, and one of the first drivers of aerial regulations.

On May 21, 1937, record-setting pilot and celebrity Amelia Earhart set out to become the first woman to fly around the world. She has been missing ever since.

Looking at the Spirit of St. Louis today you can see modifications that were made as the plane helped make history.

Last week we asked you to caption a number of intriguing images, and we promised to share more about each photo in the coming weeks. Let’s kick off with this ferociously furry snapshot.

In 1932, Amelia Earhart made history yet again as the first non-stop transcontinental flight by a woman pilot.