Since the dream of flight was finally realized by two Ohioans, Wilbur and Orville Wright, it is little wonder that Greater Clevelanders were quick to embrace it. From the August day in 1910 when Glenn Curtiss flew from Euclid Beach Park to Cedar Point, aviation has had a strong following in Cleveland. World War I saw the dawn of aircraft production in the city, and the 1920s brought the world-renowned Cleveland National Air Races. Cleveland industry supported aviation in many different ways, and multiple airports, many now long gone, promoted business aviation and flight training for decades. During World War II, Cleveland was a center of war production, and much of this was aviation related. Subsequently, renovations of the Cleveland Municipal Airport created Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. A scene of thriving airline operations to this day, Clevelands business community was quick to appreciate the advantages of corporate aviation, which remains a daily feature of Clevelands aviation life.

Enthusiasm for aviation exploded after Charles Lindberghs solo flight across the Atlantic in May 1927. The National Air Races, held in Cleveland between 1929 and 1949, collectively represent one of the most significant aviation events of the 20th century. Clevelands newly constructed municipal airport, the worlds largest airport facility at the time, along with its permanent 50,000-seat bleachers, won the city hosting rights to the event. The National Air Races captivated the public during the grim years of the Great Depression and provided a showcase for many aviation innovations including retractable landing gear, low-wing monoplanes, aircooled engines, and careful streamlining. A deadly crash ended the National Air Races more than 50 years ago, but the races made an unforgettable impression. This book should reinforce the memories of those who saw the races firsthand and pique the interest of those who have always wished they had.

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright soared into history during a twelve-second flight on a secluded North Carolina beach. Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first flight, these essays chart the central role that aviation played in twentieth-century history and capture the spirit of innovation and adventure that has characterized the history of flight. The contributors, all leading aerospace historians, consider four broad themes relating to the development of flight technology: innovation and the technology of flight, civil aeronautics and government policy, aerial warfare, and aviation in the American imagination. Through their attention to the political, economic, military, and cultural history of flight, the authors establish that the Wrights' invention--and all that followed in both air and space--was one of the most significant technologies of the twentieth century, fundamentally reshaping our world. Supported by the First Flight Centennial Commission The contributors are Janet R. Daly Bednarek, Tami Davis Biddle, Roger E. Bilstein, Hans-Joachim Braun, David T. Courtwright, Anne Collins Goodyear, Roger D. Launius, William M. Leary, David D. Lee, W. David Lewis, John H. Morrow, Dominick A. Pisano, and A. Timothy Warnock.

Enthusiasm for aviation exploded after Charles Lindbergh's solo flight across the Atlantic in May 1927. The National Air Races, held in Cleveland between 1929 and 1949, collectively represent one of the most significant aviation events of the 20th century. Cleveland's newly constructed municipal airport, the world's largest airport facility at the time, along with its permanent 50,000-seat bleachers, won the city hosting rights to the event. The National Air Races captivated the public during the grim years of the Great Depression and provided a showcase for many aviation innovations including retractable landing gear, low-wing monoplanes, aircooled engines, and careful streamlining. A deadly crash ended the National Air Races more than 50 years ago, but the races made an unforgettable impression. This book should reinforce the memories of those who saw the races firsthand and pique the interest of those who have always wished they had.

Since the dream of flight was finally realized by two Ohioans, Wilbur and Orville Wright, it is little wonder that Greater Clevelanders were quick to embrace it. From the August day in 1910 when Glenn Curtiss flew from Euclid Beach Park to Cedar Point, aviation has had a strong following in Cleveland. World War I saw the dawn of aircraft production in the city, and the 1920s brought the world-renowned Cleveland National Air Races. Cleveland industry supported aviation in many different ways, and multiple airports, many now long gone, promoted business aviation and flight training for decades. During World War II, Cleveland was a center of war production, and much of this was aviation related. Subsequently, renovations of the Cleveland Municipal Airport created Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. A scene of thriving airline operations to this day, Cleveland's business community was quick to appreciate the advantages of corporate aviation, which remains a daily feature of Cleveland's aviation life.

Walker and Weeks was the foremost architectural firm in Cleveland for nearly 40 years. Their clients were the wealthy and influential of Cleveland and their landmark accomplishments included the Cleveland Public Library and the Cleveland Municipal Stadium.