For centuries people have been enthralled with the possibility of human flight. Early inventors imitated birds' wings and envisioned other devices that they hoped would enable them to conquer the sky. Not until the beginning of the twentieth century, however, did technology catch up with the dreams. Yet even after Orville and Wilbur Wright first flew at Kitty Hawk in 1902, most Americans did not view air travel as a realistic possibility.

Air shows during the first two decades of the twentieth century convinced Americans that flight was possible. Crowds thrilled as aviators flew higher and faster, and performed tricks with their small planes. Some tried to imagine the practical applications of flight, but at that point it was still a very dangerous endeavor. The early monoplanes and biplanes were fragile; wind and storms tossed them around and they frequently crashed. So when Americans went to air...