Air Navigation In The 1920's

396 Words2 Pages
Ever wondered how an airplane is able to get from point A to point B without getting lost? How about an airplane getting from point A to point B at night? The very basic air navigation originated in the United States when the growing need for postal delivery across the country arose. For the first transcontinental air mail flight, Post Office staff and cooperative citizens lit up bonfires to lead the aircraft to and from their destinations. Soon after, the bonfires advanced to rotating beacons, field floodlights and flashing markers which spanned from Dayton to Columbus, Ohio, totaling to 72 miles. The development of basic radio navigation in the 1920’s through the use of radio transmitters on the ground and aircraft receivers with directional