Aviation History Has Influenced My Educational Direction,

¶ … aviation history has influenced my educational direction, it truly made me stop and think. Was it perhaps Deadalus, the ingenious craftsman more than 3,000 years ago, which directed me onto this life path? The story of one man's desire to be like the birds, free of Earth's surly bonds, expressed in a two sets of wings made of gull feathers and wax. Whether the tale is true or not, his inventiveness surely has inspired me. Perhaps it was George Cayley and his aeronautical research that sparked my desire for aeronautical engineering.

Certainly he was a man that I wouldn't mind following in his creative footsteps. Cayley's identification of the drag vector and lift vector are core concepts that no engineer could be without. And, his work on heavier-than-air flight is what fascinates me about aeronautical engineering. To take pieces of what would normally be cumbersome material and fashion them in such a way that they become elegant sculptures capable of being lifted off the ground is amazing.

Even in today's world where thousands of flights a day are made, this concept captivates my soul. Although others simply take flight for granted, I cannot help but stop and stare each and every time a plane flies overhead, amazed at the intricate workings that made the seemingly impossible, heavier-than-air flight, possible. Upon further consideration, though, I would have to say that the Wright brothers flight of the Flyer I is definitely a contender for the most significant aviation event that has affected my course of study.

The engineering that went into this feat was awe-inspiring. From working with kites to building their own engine to designing the aircraft controls, the Wright brothers proved what perseverance and dedication could accomplish in the field, and made me realize that I too can accomplish anything, if I apply this same level of determination. Then again, perhaps it was the development of the Bell X-1 and Chuck Yeager's historic flight on that clear October morning in 1947. Supersonic flight changed the course of advanced aviation.

I can only imagine what it must have been like to know that that 'wall of air' at the sound barrier was out there, and that the buffeting was so intense it could literally tear an aircraft to pieces. Designing a plane to go where no aircraft had gone before must have been incredibly exciting and rewarding. Perhaps it's the current advancements in aviation technology, though, that truly have motivated me to take up aeronautical engineering. Just this March, the X-43A made its historic flight and successfully reached Mach 7.

When I read about this incredible 11-second flight, all I could think was, "That's what I want to do with my life. No question." So, in the end, perhaps it wasn't one single event in aviation history.