Airtran History

7/30/2019 Airtran History

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History of Air Transportation

Dr. Antonio A. TraniAssociate Professor

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

August 29, 2005


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Early Developments

1903 - Wright Brothers first flight in North Carolina

1916 - First air mail service (Army)

1918 - US Postal Service takes over the mail system

1925 - Kelly Act (Air Mail Act) - allows private operators into

the air mail service

1926 - President Coolidge signs the first Air Commerce Act

- Establishes aids to air navigation

- Provided authority for traffic rules

- Mandatory registration of aircraft providing air services

- Certification of airmen

1927 - Pan American World Airways services Miami-La Habana(Cuba)


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Early Commercial Aircraft Development (20-30s)

The late twenties and early thirties introduces important advancesin aircraft construction methods (monocoque and aluminum)

Ford (Fokker) Trimotor175 kphRunway length = 600 m10-12 passengers


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Early Developments (II)

1930s - U.S., Latin America and Europe airlines flourish

1935 - First air traffic control facility (Newark)

1936 - The Douglas DC-3 goes into service

Cruise speed = 300 kph

21-32 passengers

11,000 built

Some still fly today

Runway length = 800 m

Douglas DC-3


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Early Airlines

The first airlines appear in Europe and the U.S.

Several Latin American carriers also start service in the late 20sand early 30s


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Early Airports

In the 30s airports start adding concrete runways (400-900 m.)

Large flying boats required well prepared facilities

Tampa Bay Seaport (circa 1930) (Blankenship, 1967)


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WWII Period

1938 - President Roosevelt creates the CAA (Civil AeronauticsAuthority) through the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938

1939 - CAA splits into CAA and CAB (Civil Aeronautics Board)

1939-1945 Aircraft development during WWII

1939-1945 Hundreds of low cost airports are created around thecountry to train pilots

1945-1947 Availability of surplus aircraft (specially many C-47or DC-3)

500 airports are turned to local and state authorities


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End of WWII Circa Aircraft

1946 - The Douglas DC-6 is introduced

Several four engine, (piston) powered aircraft become themainstay of the commercial aircraft fleet


45-65 passengers

300 built

Some still fly today


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Development of the RADAR

Allows the surveillance of aircraft allowing efficient and safeaircraft operations

Primary RADAR is used after WWII

Primary RADAR

Secondary RADAR(transponder)


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Post War Period

1945 - First radar equipped control tower (Indianapolis)

1946 - Federal Airport Act of 1946

1951 - British launch the first commercial jet (Comet I)

- Airport runway lengths grow substantially

- More support equipment is needed

1958 - Federal Aviation Act of 1958

- Creates the Federal Aviation Agency (todays FAA)

- Retains CAB for regulatory control

1967 - Department of Transportation emerges

- FAA becomes the Federal Aviation Administration

- NTSB is created (National Transportation Safety Board)


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Airport and Airway Technologies (50s)

Relevant airport/aviation technologies:

Very High Frequency Omni-directional Range and Finding(VORs and later VORTACs)

Instrument Landing System (ILS)

Approach lighting systems

VORTACILS Antenna


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Representative Aircraft of the Post War Period

Several successful four-engine, piston and turbo-propeller aircraftare developed in this period

Vickers Viscount (Turboprop)

Lockheed Constellation (Piston)


90-110 passengers

Runway length = 2,000 m


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Long-Range Aircraft Development (50-60s)

The British Comet I is followed by very successful Americanfour-engine turbojet designs from Boeing and Douglas


140-165 passengers


Boeing 707-320

Douglas DC-8-50


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Short-Range Aircraft Development (60s)

Several short and medium-range aircraft are introduced in the60s


140-165 passengers


Boeing 727-200

Boeing 737-100


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Airport Development in the 60s

Many of the most famous airports that we know today wereconceived in the late 50s and early 60s

Washington Dulles International (1958-1962)

Newark International (1967-1973)

San Francisco International (1967) Chicago Ohare International (1959-1963)

Los Angeles International (1957-1961)

Paris Orly-Ouest (1966-1971)

Houston Intercontinental (1964-1967) Kansas City (1965-1972)

Dallas/Fort-Worth Regional (1965-1973)


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Supersonic Aircraft (Late 60s)

1968 - BAC/Aerospatiale introduce Concorde to the world

Only 14 aircraft are ever built

Cruise speed = 2400 kph90-110 passengers

7,000 km range

150,000 kgRunway length = 3,200 m


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Large Capacity Aircraft (60-70s)

1969 - Boeing introduces the Boeing 747-100

PanAm is the first airline to place it into service

Airports have to adjust to this aircraft

Cruise speed = 985 kph400 passengers

7,000 km range

320,000 kgRunway length = 3,100 m


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Airport Innovations (70s)

In the early seventies new innovations appear at many airports inthe U.S. (Automated People Movers -APM, centralized deicing,

mobile lounges, moving sidewalks, etc.)


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Important Airport Airway Development

Airport and Airway development Act of 1970

- Creates the Aviation Trust Fund

- Provided assistance to airports for development

Airline Deregulation Act of 1978

- Eliminates the regulation activities

- Phases out CAB in 1985

- Rise and decay of low fare airlines

- Consolidation of markets

- Growth in commuter markets

1981 - PATCO strike (11,000 ATC controllersfi

red by PresidentReagan)


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More Recent Issues

Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982

- FAAs Brown Book (National Airspace Systems Plan - NASP)

- Authorizes 11.1 billion dollars for improvements

1980s - Few megacarriers dominate the domestic market

1980-1990s More consolidations take place 1990s - International megacarrier arrangements

1993 - European liberalization starts

1990s - Commuter airlines seek alliances with majors


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Development of Twin Engine Aircraft (70-80-90s)

Development of large turbofan (fuel efficient) engines

Boeing and Airbus introduce successful long-range, twin-engineaircraft


270 passengers

7,000 km range

200,000 kg

Runway length = 2,700 mBoeing 767-200


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Satellite Revolution

1993 - GPS (Global Positioning System) touted as the next ATCrevolution

- SATNAV trails over the Pacific Ocean

- United predicts 40 million dollars in savings in the Pacific usingGPS

1994 - Satellite navigation trials start on Trans-Pacific routes 1996 - Trails to test DGPS for low visibility landings at airports

1998 - ADS-B Automated Dependance Surveillance mode B

1999 - DGPS offers near precision approaches (demonstrationsin the Ohio Valley)

2000 - Alaska trials of ADS-B (250 aircraft participating)


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Development of Regional Aircraft (80-90s)

Today turbofan-powered regional aircraft are very successful atreplacing older turboprop technology

Publics perception of the turboprop as noisy and unsafe


50 passengers

2,000 km range32,000 kg


Bombardier RJ 100


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Airports for General Aviation Use

The Small (or Smart) Air Transportation System (SATS) proposedby NASA Langley could bring a new meaning to personal air

transportation


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Very Long Range Aircraft

In the early 2003 the introduction of Airbus A340-500 andBoeing 777-200 ER aircraft allows airlines to fly routes of morethan 7,000 nm (New York-Delhi, New York-Singapore)

New issues with human factors of long flight duration are beingaddressed


300 passengers

13,000 km range

325,000 kg


Boeing 777-200ER

Airbus A340-500

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