In 1915, other events were taking place. A new automobile speed record was set at Sheepshead Bay, NY, at the unbelievable speed of 102.6 mph. Many airplane pilots would have been delighted to match that speed. The airplane had not yet caught up with the automobile. Not only did American flight lag behind automotive progress, it also lagged behind European aviation. This was particularly galling to many aviation enthusiasts in the U.S. -- the birthplace of aviation. [This is in some dispute according to some of our international readers, but there's no doubt the U.S. was a major player at the time. -- DG]

The airplane was just 11 years old when World War I began in 1914. The first use of the airplane in war was as a reconnaissance plane. It was particularly helpful in improving the effectiveness of artillery, which was the primarily long-distance killing machine during World War I. However, these slow, frail observation planes needed to be protected, prompting pilots to start arming themselves, first with pistols, then with machine guns.

A synchronization system was soon developed which allowed the pilot to fire his gun intermittently, so that he did not shoot off his own propeller. Although the airplane was not the decisive weapon of WWI, it did demonstrate its potential to change the way wars were fought and set the stage for modern warfare. Interestingly, except for air transport, every type of military aircraft activity that is used today was also used used back in the first world war.

After World War I, many Americans were beginning to be exposed to a variety of uses for the airplane and it was fast becoming a regular sight in both America and Europe, as well as some limited use in South America and Africa. Airplanes were finally gaining acceptance for what they could do and the focus was turning toward a different kind of flying: practical commercial use.

During World War I, from 1914-1917, over 6000 Curtiss JN-4 (Jennies) were build for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Thousands left over from the war, still in their shipping crates, were sold on the civilian market for approximately $500 each. The low cost, ready availability, and very forgiving handling characteristics made the "Jenny" a very popular airplane. The Jenny single handily and firmly established the infant aviation industry.

Along with the glut of surplus Jennies, there were also an abundance of trained pilots. These pilots, not having very many ways to make money flying, began flying to small communities and farms giving rides and performing aerial stunts. The barnstorming pilot and availability of the Jenny did more for the development of aviation then any other airplane or event in the history of aviation. On the other hand, the large number of low cost Jenny's effectively killed the market for new airplanes.

The next significant development in aviation was the beginning of air mail service. The first air mail flight was back in 1911, when Earle Covington made a short ten mile flight from a Long Island airport to nearby Mineola, New York. On September 23, flying his 70 hp Belriot Queen airplane named Dragonfly, Covington tossed a sack stuffed with 640 letters and 1,280 postcards over the side of the plane, at a pre-designated spot. This was not only the first air mail service, but the first non-military, commercial use of an airplane.