Metropolitan Airport NewsMetropolitan Airport News

    Subscribe for Updates

    Get the latest local airport and aviation news delivered right into your inbox each week!

    News Updates

    The First American Woman in Space: Unveiling of Sculpture Honors Dr. Sally Ride

    June 18, 2022

    Our Lady of the Skies 2022 Annual Luncheon

    June 17, 2022

    Life-sized Lego Commercial Pilot Unveiled at JFK Terminal 4 Lego Store

    June 16, 2022
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Metropolitan Airport NewsMetropolitan Airport News
    • Latest News
      • Publisher’s Message
      • On Duty
      • Fast Five
      • Airport News
      • Air Cargo
      • Airline News
      • Aviation News
      • Airport Safety & Security
      • Airport Community
      • Airport Employment News
      • Airport Company Spotlight
      • Ground Services
      • Intermodal
      • New York Aviation History
      • Non-Rev Traveler
    • Airport & Aviation Events
    • Airport Employment
    • Latest Issue
    • Contact Us
    Metropolitan Airport NewsMetropolitan Airport News
    Home»Aviation News»A Salute to Aviation Day 2020
    Aviation News

    A Salute to Aviation Day 2020

    Joseph AlbaBy Joseph AlbaAugust 21, 2020No Comments3 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Wright Brothers First Flight
    On December 17, 1903, two brothers from Dayton, Ohio, named Wilbur and Orville Wright, were successful in flying an airplane they built. Their powered aircraft flew for 12 seconds above the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, making them the first men to pilot a heavier-than-air machine that took off on its own power, remained under control, and sustained flight.

    This month, the membership of the LinkedIn network were asked what event exemplifies the spirit of Aviation Day; a commemoration of aviation that was begun by President Franklin D Roosevelt in 1939, to commemorate the birthdate of Orville Wright who was born August 19th, 1871.  

    The membership chose the flight of the Wright Flyer in Kitty Hawk North Carolina on December 17, 1903. The aircraft would have appeared simple but was an engineering marvel made from balsa wood and fabric. They even made one wing four inches longer than the other to compensate for the weight of the engine which was a few feet to the right of the pilot. * 

    We are no longer supposed to be awed and proud of our achievements. We have spawned a lost generation, even more disassociated than the lost generation of the 1920’s. “Lost” in this context refers to the “disoriented, wandering, directionless” spirit of many in the early postwar period.  It was a discouraging sign of the times then as it is today.   

    And now we suffer through a pandemic that has been especially hard on our industry. Don’t get discouraged; it is never wise to underestimate the energy, creativity and courage of we Americans. We have proven time and time again that we are willing to take on any challenge, and be stronger for it in the end. This writer has no doubt that we will overcome this pandemic that has infiltrated every aspect of our lives, our familial patterns and closeness, our religious observances, the relationships we treasure, our work, our personal pastimes, and of course, the very lives and health of those we love. 

    This pandemic is not simply a health problem, it is a challenge of unraveling the isolation, and the bad mental habits of the self-involved. Then there are the naysayers, and the new normal prognosticators.  Personally, I don’t give a damn about the so called “return of the pandemic”. I’m going to hug every one of the grandchildren at my first opportunity when the coast is clear. That is as normal as it gets for me. 

    The industry we work in has especially been hard hit. Travel is by its very nature a close encounter kind of business. Whether it be a bus terminal, a ship’s boarding area, or an airport terminal, pre-pandemic you could touch and talk to more people than you do in a month of your normal existence. The absence of these travelers is reflective of the hard hit we have taken in our pocket books, both in our businesses and our personal life.  

    However, I have learned about the people that work at the airports and in aviation in general; they are a resilient, hard-working and thoughtful bunch, and they will come up with whatever answers it takes to survive and prosper.

    In the meantime, a toast to the Wright Brothers, who built and flew a flimsy aircraft, made of wood and fabric. They flew it 120 feet and ushered in the birth of an industry. And of course, a toast to all the dreamers, the designers and the doers who make this industry the least boring place in the world. 

    • Our readers can learn more about the aircraft and the flight at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum website.

    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Joseph Alba
    • Website
    • LinkedIn

    Mr. Alba was previously Editor of the Airport Press for 12 years covering both local as well as global aviation news. Prior to this, Mr. Alba had Executive positions in Systems Engineering and Marketing with IBM World Trade, and had foreign assignments in the Far East and Latin America earning three Outstanding Achievement Awards. Mr. Alba also directed a new function dealing with Alternate Fuels for Public Service Electric & Gas company in New Jersey and founded a Natural Gas Vehicle Consortium consisting of car company executives and fleet owners, and NGV suppliers in New Jersey. Mr. Alba was a founding partner of ATA, an IT Consulting company which is still active in Central and South America. After leaving the armed forces, Mr. Alba’s initial employee was the U.S. Defense Department as an analyst.

    RELATED NEWS & UPDATES

    The First American Woman in Space: Unveiling of Sculpture Honors Dr. Sally Ride

    June 18, 2022

    SAF Has Been Delivered to New York Using Existing Petroleum Pipelines

    June 15, 2022

    FAA Launches ‘Be ATC’ Campaign to Recruit Next Diverse Generation of Air Traffic Controllers 

    June 9, 2022

    Interview With David Neeleman

    June 9, 2022

    RedTail Flight Academy Honors Original Tuskegee Airmen Through Graduating Class of 2022

    June 6, 2022

    Gov. Hochul, PANYNJ, and Delta Air Lines Announce Opening of New Terminal C at LaGuardia Airport

    June 2, 2022
    Add A Comment

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    UPCOMING AIRPORT EVENTS
    JFK Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
    June 28, 2022
    11:30 AM
    • Russo’s On the Bay
    Howard Beach, New York
    JFK Air Cargo Association Monthly Meeting
    June 30, 2022
    11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
    Bayhouse Breezy Point
    Breezy Point, New York
    2022 Aviation Job Fair
    June 30, 2022
    10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
    Helen M. Marshall Cultural Center
    Kew Gardens, New York
    • >> More Airport & Aviation Industry Events
    RELATED NEWS

    The First American Woman in Space: Unveiling of Sculpture Honors Dr. Sally Ride

    By Julia Lauria-BlumJune 18, 2022

    Today a monumental sculpture was publicly unveiled and dedicated to the late astronaut Dr. Sally…

    Life-sized Lego Commercial Pilot Unveiled at JFK Terminal 4 Lego Store

    June 16, 2022

    SAF Has Been Delivered to New York Using Existing Petroleum Pipelines

    June 15, 2022

    PLAY Reintroducing International Flights at New York Stewart International Airport

    June 10, 2022

    Subscribe for Updates

    Get the latest local airport and aviation news delivered right into your inbox each week!

    Metropolitan Airport News provides timely news, information and updates for both Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ) employees and businesses that provide services at, and around the major New York airports (JFK, LGA, EWR).

    John F. Kennedy International Airport
    PO Box 300877
    Jamaica, NY 11430 USA
    Phone: (347) 396-0904
    Email Us

    Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Flickr
    JUNE 2022 ISSUE
    Metropolitan Airport News - June-2022
    LATEST COMMENTS
    • Dayna Harap  - Fast Five on The JFK Air Cargo Association Names New President
    • Ryan on Cockpit Jumpseating: The Best Seat in the House
    • Roberta Bassin on Finding Charlie
    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Charitable Giving Program
    • Back Issue Archive
    • Contact Us
    © 2022 Airport Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.