National Aviation Day: August 19th

Each year, August 19th brings together pilots, flight attendants, aircraft mechanics, and other aviation industry personnel to celebrate National Aviation Day. Created in 1939 by former president Franklin D. Roosevelt, National Aviation Day is a celebration of the growth and advancements made in aviation. It falls on the birthday of Orville Wright who, together with his brother Wilbur, made significant contributions to powered flight.

 

Some Early Pioneers in the Aviation Industry

 

National Aviation Day affords aviation enthusiasts more of a reason to seek out the accomplishments of the industry’s early pioneers. Consider where the world is today. There are people who fly on a weekly and even daily basis for their commute to work. In fact, much of our daily lives are affected due to the advances in aviation. Our favorite sports teams travel to compete against other teams through flight. Professional leagues such as the MLB and NBA play over 100 games a year, across the country, which make them heavily dependent on aircraft to make it possible.

This is all available to us due to the early pioneers such as the Wright Brothers, two small town North Carolina boys with big dreams. With the guidance of Augustus Moore Herring, they were able to achieve the first powered, sustained, and controlled flight of an airplane. This ultimately earned them a Congressional Medal for their work.

The Wright Brothers worked with Charlie Taylor, who was the mechanic and bicycle machinist at the Wright Cycle Company. It was he who built the engine that powered the Wright Brothers’ airplane, which earned him the nickname as the unsung hero of aviation.

Mr. Glenn Curtiss, an aircraft designer and manufacturer, piloted the first official public flight in the United States, flying 1 mile. He later went on to establish America’s first aircraft manufacturing company.


The State of the Aviation Industry Today

 

Thanks to the contributions of the early aviation pioneers, the world has become a much more accessible place. Once upon a time, it was unfathomable for an individual to consider traveling from New York to Italy. Today, you can jump on a flight at 8am and be there in time for dinner. Experiencing a new culture is just a matter of setting aside available dates and booking a ticket. Aviation has also expanded the roles of individuals in a professional capacity as well.

Because of the achievements of the early aviation pioneers, aircraft dispatcher institutions like Sheffield School of Aeronautics can exist. As the world’s oldest and most renown aircraft dispatcher school, Sheffield has trained thousands of people and helped them along the path to working in the airline industry. No other school can make the same claim. The impact of the achievements of the Wright Brothers and the many other airline industry pioneers continue to be felt today. For that reason, we continue to celebrate National Aviation Day and regard it for the symbolic nature that it deserves.

  • Contact Us

    • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

  • Testimonials

    “Sheffield School of Aeronautics is a highly recognized and respected organization throughout the airline industry. They only produce the highest quality of graduate…” P.W. Sidebar PW
    “I entered my profession, with more knowledge and information than dispatchers who have been practicing their craft for more than ten years. Not only has Sheffield provided a top notch education, but they have also instilled in me the confidence to succeed.” A.Z. Sidebar AZ – Student Testimonial
    “Going to Sheffield prepared me for the real world challenges of Aircraft Dispatching. I certainly believe that the method Sheffield used is one not only for success in a real world career, but also one that prepares students to correctly dispatch aircraft.” T.Z. Sidebar TZ
    “I am a graduate of the Sheffield’s Dispatcher Program. I have been a Captain-Part 121 Airline, Certified Flight/Grnd Instructor, and FAA Designated Check Airman and Sim Instructor (Part 121). From my experience I would rate Sheffield School as outstanding in their field.” PT PT
    “I wanted to tell you I got the job offer from Expressjet, and start next month! I think a couple others from class were hired as well. It just shows the Sheffield reputation when I see graduates from other schools complaining that they can’t get an interview – I wasn’t even back home to Minneapolis […] Dan Gustafson
    “My experience at Sheffield and my exposure to other aircraft dispatchers that did not go to Sheffield has resulted in an awareness of the superior depth and quality of the training provided by the Sheffield instructors.” CD Sidebar CD
    “I am so glad they are like this because it made me a better dispatcher and I really appreciate their high standards. I would highly recommend Sheffield to anyone who is willing to study hard and is serious about obtaining a Dispatcher Certificate.” MC MC
    “If you want to be the best, first you need to be trained by the best!” P. Hill P.Hill – DHL
    “Eric Morris is one of the most if not the most knowledgeable and experienced authorities on Aircraft Dispatching in the United States. He strives constantly to make the industry better.” DH sidebar DH
    “While touring my company’s dispatch department before I had my license our OCC manager pointed out that 7 of the 10 dispatchers on shift had come from Sheffield. The overall consensus was that Sheffield grads were able to hit the ground running as they were better prepared.” K.O. Sidebar K.O.
    “As a graduate of the aircraft dispatcher program at the Sheffield School of Aeronautics…My training was intense and thorough and furnished me with the requisite skills for performing my current job as a Flight Dispatch Supervisor.” N.S. Sidebar NS
    “Their reputation of excellence amongst the industry is second to none. Sheffield School of Aeronautics should be seen as the standard of how it can be done and how it should be done. I was hired at a major airline with no dispatch experience.” A.Z. Sidebar AZ
    “These men represented the highest caliber of professionalism and integrity. The education I received from these gentleman has afforded me to be gainfully employed while having the opportunity to use the education received, all over this country, and more than a few others.” WG sidebar wg
    “Being that half my new hire class dropped out over the course of training, I can confidently say that Sheffield helped to prepare me for the real world.” GT – abridged testimonial – school selection matters
    “now that I’ve been in an indoctrination class with students from other schools, I know I made the right choice with Sheffield.”   Kindest regards,  A.R.  All schools are created equal?! yeah…sure ;)
  • Online Catalog

    Sheffield Flight Dispatch Training Catalog

  • Connect