One hundred years ago an idea took off--literally--from the grassy airfield in College Park: could these new flying machines move mail between cities faster than trains? Congress okayed a test. Andrea Cochrane Tracey, director of the College Park Aviation Museum, reflects on how basic things were in 1918.
The first flights during sunny August went well. Cydney Shank Wentsel, the granddaughter of Robert Shank, an early pilot, tells us how wintry snow and fog raised the dangers, and pilots pushed for more control over when they’d fly.
For information about events surrounding the airmail anniversary at the College Park Aviation Museum, visit this link.
To view a documentary about Robert Shank, visit this link.
For a look at commemorative stamps for the airmail anniversary, visit this link.
