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- Equipment Inside the Radio Beacon Station Building at Ford Airport, September 10, 1926 - Early pilots depended on landmarks, preventing reliable navigation in bad weather. Henry Ford's engineers developed a radio beacon that simultaneously transmitted two Morse code letters, allowing pilots to steer until the separate signals merged into a steady hum. The original beacon station at Ford Airport (shown here) was removed in 1933 and is now on display inside the museum.
- September 10, 1926
- Collections - Artifact
Equipment Inside the Radio Beacon Station Building at Ford Airport, September 10, 1926
Early pilots depended on landmarks, preventing reliable navigation in bad weather. Henry Ford's engineers developed a radio beacon that simultaneously transmitted two Morse code letters, allowing pilots to steer until the separate signals merged into a steady hum. The original beacon station at Ford Airport (shown here) was removed in 1933 and is now on display inside the museum.
- Radio Goniometer Used at Ford Airport, circa 1927 - The radio beacon may be Henry Ford's most important contribution to aviation. Early pilots depended on landmarks, preventing reliable navigation in bad weather. Ford's engineers developed a radio beacon that simultaneously transmitted the Morse code letter "A" (dot-dash) in one direction and the letter "N" (dash-dot) in another. The pilot steered until the separate signals merged into a steady hum.
- circa 1927
- Collections - Artifact
Radio Goniometer Used at Ford Airport, circa 1927
The radio beacon may be Henry Ford's most important contribution to aviation. Early pilots depended on landmarks, preventing reliable navigation in bad weather. Ford's engineers developed a radio beacon that simultaneously transmitted the Morse code letter "A" (dot-dash) in one direction and the letter "N" (dash-dot) in another. The pilot steered until the separate signals merged into a steady hum.
- Ford Reliability Tour at Ford Airport, Dearborn, Michigan, 1930 - From 1925-1931, Ford Motor Company sponsored annual air tours to promote reliability and safety in commercial aircraft. Pilots flew to pre-determined cities, and their airplanes were rated on the ability to take off and land quickly and maintain consistent speeds. The 1930 tour included 18 entries and visited 29 cities in the United States and Canada.
- September 27, 1930
- Collections - Artifact
Ford Reliability Tour at Ford Airport, Dearborn, Michigan, 1930
From 1925-1931, Ford Motor Company sponsored annual air tours to promote reliability and safety in commercial aircraft. Pilots flew to pre-determined cities, and their airplanes were rated on the ability to take off and land quickly and maintain consistent speeds. The 1930 tour included 18 entries and visited 29 cities in the United States and Canada.
- Wire Photograph, Peace Corps Volunteers at San Francisco International Airport, "Bound for Philippines," 1961 - President John F. Kennedy recognized the Peace Corps as an opportunity to spread goodwill and as a positive weapon against the Cold War. Established March 1, 1961, by the end of the year, many Peace Corps volunteers had been trained and placed in overseas assignments. Here, a group leaves for the Philippines to serve as teachers' aides in country villages.
- October 12, 1961
- Collections - Artifact
Wire Photograph, Peace Corps Volunteers at San Francisco International Airport, "Bound for Philippines," 1961
President John F. Kennedy recognized the Peace Corps as an opportunity to spread goodwill and as a positive weapon against the Cold War. Established March 1, 1961, by the end of the year, many Peace Corps volunteers had been trained and placed in overseas assignments. Here, a group leaves for the Philippines to serve as teachers' aides in country villages.
- Elinor Smith after Record-Breaking Women's Endurance Flight, 1929 - Elinor Smith took her first flight at age six and earned a pilot's license at 16. She made headlines flying under New York City bridges in 1928, but more serious pursuits earned Smith a series of endurance, speed, and altitude records for a female pilot. Smith piloted an airplane for the last time in 2001, at the age of 89.
- April 23, 1929
- Collections - Artifact
Elinor Smith after Record-Breaking Women's Endurance Flight, 1929
Elinor Smith took her first flight at age six and earned a pilot's license at 16. She made headlines flying under New York City bridges in 1928, but more serious pursuits earned Smith a series of endurance, speed, and altitude records for a female pilot. Smith piloted an airplane for the last time in 2001, at the age of 89.
- Ruth Elder's Airplane, the "American Girl," Fueling up before Take-off, October 11, 1927 - Ruth Elder planned to be the first woman to fly across the Atlantic. On October 11, 1927, Elder and co-pilot George Haldeman took off in their Stinson Detroiter <em>American Girl</em>. An oil leak forced them to ditch in the ocean some 360 miles short of land. Still, the 2,623 miles Elder covered set a new distance record for a female pilot.
- October 11, 1927
- Collections - Artifact
Ruth Elder's Airplane, the "American Girl," Fueling up before Take-off, October 11, 1927
Ruth Elder planned to be the first woman to fly across the Atlantic. On October 11, 1927, Elder and co-pilot George Haldeman took off in their Stinson Detroiter American Girl. An oil leak forced them to ditch in the ocean some 360 miles short of land. Still, the 2,623 miles Elder covered set a new distance record for a female pilot.
- Group from Edison Institute Schools Visit the Piccard Stratosphere Flight Balloon at Ford Airport, September 1934 - The Piccard stratosphere flight departed from Ford Airport field on October 23, 1934. Spouses Jean and Jeannette Piccard ascended 10.9 miles in a metal gondola carried by a hydrogen balloon. This image was taken at one of the airport's hangars in September of 1934, and depicts the Piccards with a group of visiting children from the Edison Institute School.
- September 17, 1934
- Collections - Artifact
Group from Edison Institute Schools Visit the Piccard Stratosphere Flight Balloon at Ford Airport, September 1934
The Piccard stratosphere flight departed from Ford Airport field on October 23, 1934. Spouses Jean and Jeannette Piccard ascended 10.9 miles in a metal gondola carried by a hydrogen balloon. This image was taken at one of the airport's hangars in September of 1934, and depicts the Piccards with a group of visiting children from the Edison Institute School.
- Group from Edison Institute Schools Visit the Piccard Stratosphere Flight Balloon at Ford Airport, September 1934 - The Piccard stratosphere flight departed from Ford Airport field on October 23, 1934. Spouses Jean and Jeannette Piccard ascended 10.9 miles in a metal gondola carried by a hydrogen balloon. This image was taken at one of the airport's hangars in September of 1934, and depicts the Piccards with a group of visiting children from the Edison Institute School.
- September 20, 1934
- Collections - Artifact
Group from Edison Institute Schools Visit the Piccard Stratosphere Flight Balloon at Ford Airport, September 1934
The Piccard stratosphere flight departed from Ford Airport field on October 23, 1934. Spouses Jean and Jeannette Piccard ascended 10.9 miles in a metal gondola carried by a hydrogen balloon. This image was taken at one of the airport's hangars in September of 1934, and depicts the Piccards with a group of visiting children from the Edison Institute School.
- Horizontal Air Traffic Controller Radar Display Plaque, circa 2001 - Federal oversight of air traffic control began in 1938, but radar technology -- greatly improved during World War II -- was not widely implemented until the late 1950s. Detroit Metro Airport received one of the first computer-integrated radar scopes capable of displaying an airplane's identification number and altitude directly on the screen. This plaque commemorates that unit, used from 1970 to 2001.
- circa 2001
- Collections - Artifact
Horizontal Air Traffic Controller Radar Display Plaque, circa 2001
Federal oversight of air traffic control began in 1938, but radar technology -- greatly improved during World War II -- was not widely implemented until the late 1950s. Detroit Metro Airport received one of the first computer-integrated radar scopes capable of displaying an airplane's identification number and altitude directly on the screen. This plaque commemorates that unit, used from 1970 to 2001.
- Stout Air Transport 2AT-5 before First Contract Air Mail Flight (CAM-6), Detroit to Cleveland, February 15, 1926 - After operating air mail flights itself for eight years, the U.S. Post Office Department contracted with commercial air carriers in 1926. The first two contract routes, connecting Detroit with Cleveland and Chicago, were awarded to Ford Air Transport, Ford Motor Company's airline subsidiary. Ford planes carried more than 32,000 pounds of mail before the contract ended in July 1928.
- Collections - Artifact
Stout Air Transport 2AT-5 before First Contract Air Mail Flight (CAM-6), Detroit to Cleveland, February 15, 1926
After operating air mail flights itself for eight years, the U.S. Post Office Department contracted with commercial air carriers in 1926. The first two contract routes, connecting Detroit with Cleveland and Chicago, were awarded to Ford Air Transport, Ford Motor Company's airline subsidiary. Ford planes carried more than 32,000 pounds of mail before the contract ended in July 1928.