The First Decades of AviationThe First Decades of Aviation

The first decades of aviation brought both triumph and tragedy. To fly an early airplane required skill, courage and daring. A new breed of adventurers looked to the heavens for their challenges, and thrilled audiences around the world. The advent of the movie camera meant that their exploits could be broadcast to every corner of the globe, and recorded for posterity. Several of the world's great aviators learned their craft in the bloodbath that was the Great War. The pilots of Germany, France and Britain who were able to master combat flying in time to prevent an early death were known as "Air Aces."