Modern science has made
the life easy for people. With the help of innovation in technology, our lifestyle
becomes updated. Now, we are in the edge of Modern scientific world. What was
our dream yesterday becomes the reality today. Scientific
triumph is seen everywhere around us and bring blessings to the mankind. In the
field of transportation science make revolutionary change as many new forms of transportation invented.
The face of earth has
been changed and science has change the mode of lifestyle in the past hundred
years than in last four thousand years before. We have observed the gifts of
science of motor cars, steam engine, electric and magnetic trains. But we can
be amazed to see the marvelous and greatest invention of flying like a bird in
the sky. Previously we were satisfied traveling with the buses, trains,
automobiles, even boats and ships. But the dream of moving through air becomes
the reality when different forms of air transportation are innovated. Wright
brothers invented aero plane in 1903.
Air transportation is
the movement or transport of human and objects from one place to another by
air. Now in the busy world air transportation becomes the very easy and time
saving ways for travel across the world. It is the fastest, shortest, quickest means
of the carrier. This forms of travel is vey much comfortable. It gives us the
unique opportunity and brings excitement and thrilling while moving from one
location to another.
In this pleasant
journey no traffic jam and other sorts of barriers are seen. Overall journey by
air is much safe, sound and cool experience to the travelers. With the help of
air transportation the world has become a mere global family. It successfully
exceeds the distant and time constant in journey.
This mode of
transportation is still quite costly and since only affluent section of the
society can afford it. So, for busy business people especially the top business
managers and organization heads, the top officials of any country and other
people who have the money used to take air transportation for traveling.
There are various
advantages and disadvantages of using air travel. But the advantages are
innumerous and the usefulness of taking air transport removes the time and
distance limitations. Now people fly to many parts of the worlds with the least
time and with very comfortable ways.
Not only for peak time
but also for any time during the year, you can book your air ticket. The price
of air travel depends on the types of the class of the set, the selection of
the airline, destination etc. Bruckner (2002),
Daniel and Pahwa, (2000) discussed about the demand management which is
becoming a bigger challenge in the airline industry.
The history and
evolution of air transportation has come across a long way. Around 400 BC,
kites are used as the religious customs in ancient china. Initially kites are
made for fun but later more sophisticated kites are tested to know the motion
of the wind and weather. From many years human being has the desire to fly in
the sky like a bird.
Hero of Alexandria who was
a famous ancient Greek engineer worked with stream and air pressure to reveal
the sources of power. He had tried some experiments in these fields with a
water kettle and fire to get some concepts about power.
In 1492, Theories of flight was designed by
Leonardo da Vinci. He has given over hundred of drawings to highlight his ideas
about the concept of flight. Most of his drawings depict the ideas for man
carrying machines with wings and trails of birds. His design of Ornithopter is
quite similar to helicopter in the modern time. Aviation pioneers and contributor
to this field have examined the concept of Vinci in 19th century.
Joseph Michel
and Jacques Etienne Montgolfier brothers first developed the hot air
balloon in 1783. The earliest hot
balloon climbed 6000 feet high and passed about one mile with a sheep, duck and
roosters. Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier and
Francois Laurent are the first human passengers who flied on November 21, 1783.
Sir George Caysley who
has distinguished between lift and drag experimented with wing design in order
to find out how human can fly in the sky. His experiments took palace between
1799 and 1850s. A young boy was the first passenger of Canley’s gliders. He has
dedicated fifty years in to make updating his theory. He changed the shape of
the wing of gliders for smooth air blowing across the wings. In his work, “On
Ariel Navigation” he has given clue for human to fly in the sky.
Otto Lilienthal was a
German engineer studied aerodynamics and he was the first person of glider
designer. Using his design subsequent engineers got various clues of flying
techniques. He was so much enthralled and exited about flight design that he
wrote a book and published in 1889. His work was taken by the Wright brothers
as a base of flight design.
In 1891, Samuel Langley built a place called aerodrome. On December 17,
1903, Orville
Wright and Wilbur Wright did their first quest of flying in the air. They had
studied the earlier works, took good concept and implement in their experiment.
They studied the motion of wind and other scientific factors and did the research.
1st the
Wright brothers tests with the gliders. They designed the wind tunnel to change
the shapes of the wings. Later they create a propulsion system use to make the
lift for fly. Orville piloted the plane weighted 605 pounds.US govt. bought the
1st plane form Wright brothers in 1909 with a value of $25000 and
awarded a bonus of $5000 for exceed forty mph.
There are various types
of air transportation exists both commercially and private. Some of them have
been developed many years ago and some are developed recently couple of years
back. Toady’s hot air balloons are used with the same technology and feature of
the previously invented balloons. In a wicker basket heat source and passengers
are placed under the shed of the balloon. According to the direction of the
wind, balloon moves with the increase of heat.
Various colorful and
attractive balloons are seen as a medium of air transportation. The most
popular means of air transport is the fixed wing airplane. Flight tracking
organization flight ware claims that over 49315 commercial flights operate
globally on a daily basis. Nearly 1.2 billion people of the world use airplane
as a means of transportation. So we can find the impact of Air transportation
on the social life of people.
For smooth takeoff and
landing a long runway is required at the airport. Propeller is used to warm up
the place for flight and wings work as wind stabilizer. The airplanes are designed
in such a way that they can withstand any bad situation in the air like bad
weather or other natural or manual problems. The pilots are so adept in
handling the air plane; they are enabling to ride a plane even in most risky
and dangerous situation.
Helicopters are other
medium of air transport. Mainly it is used to carry the soldiers into the
remote areas where with the airplane can be accessible. The apache helicopter
is the modern sand sophisticated form of transportation used in the defense. In
the emergency situation of any country like flood or cyclones, the relief can
be reached to the affected people though helicopter. Personal air transport is
seen for the richest people of the world.
The importance of air
transportation is unimaginable. It takes days even months to travel via seas
but it takes only couple of hours to reach any destination via air. Toady air
travel become very much common. Most of the countries of the world use this medium
of transport. Brueckner (2005) studied about the fact of managing the
passengers need to travel via air. The air line authorities need to give more
focus to fulfill the growing need of air transport of the people. Many
companies currently producing large and most sophisticated air plane with the
state of the art technology.
Research is being
conducted to at NASA Langley Research Center to fly the Pacific Ocean in few
hours of time or try to develop jumbo jet having giant wings that carries over 700
passengers. Airbus, the aircraft manufacturer has a plan named “engineers
dream”. The company wants to make this dream in to reality by 2030 which they
claimed will be the future of air transport.
The plane will have all
the latest and comfortable facilities of our imagination. The aircraft will
have the design of cabins and engines, aerodynamics and aircraft materials. The
seat of the plane will have self cleaning materials designed for a snug fit.
Walls of the plane will give 360 views with transparent see through button. The
use of green energy like solar panels, fuel cells and body heat used to
generate power all the systems will be presented in the future aircraft.
The safety measures
will be the most focus of future air Transportation. The future planes will be
designed in such a way to provide the passengers with utmost safety and
security. The seating arrangements, trouble handling measures will be so
updated that passengers will be highly delighted with the service.
Another aspect
of future airplane is to reach the destination with the fastest mode. The speed
of future plane will be super fast. The air transportation in the future will
become not only comfortable but also memorable. Various aspects of Airport
services demand and supply have been discussed
in the work of Zografos and Madas (2003). They tried to
show different approaches in this matter. The cargo transporters will become more
flexible and less time consuming.
Various Commercial
airlines allow citizens to attend different business programs, holiday
vacation, and tour to the globe. Many long distance cargos are moved quickly
via air transport. Human and cargo carriers are shipped on charters or regular
frequent basis. In an airport various flights are scheduled for variety of
destination. People can take the service by booking the tickets online or
manually.
The future of airplane
industry will be focused on the green energy especially solar energy. Some
researches had been conducted which try to highlight the future dimension and
nature of air transport using the green and other alternative sources of
energy. Ausubel and meyer (1998) , Bhadra, Gentry and Wells (2005) This new sources
of alternative energy bring opportunities that can be applied to Air plane
industry. Various researches are ongoing to develop viable and cost reducing
energy for the airplane. We hope that in the very near future this imagination
will become the reality and transportation via air becomes very much pleasant
and comfortable.
Air transportation
unlike other modes of transportation has much impact in the economy of any
country. Developed countries and provide the best facilities of Air transport
by establishing various airports in the busy and important states across the
country. When people are provided with much innovative and safe means of air
transport facilities, the revenue of the air industry will increase.
When destinations are
very far away, commercial airplane travel become the most comfortable and quick
means. Sometimes accidental issues and risk of life may occur in air travel.
But the same can be happens to other mode of communication like water and road
transportation.
Most of the airplanes
are equipped with many features and facilities that give the passengers the
unique opportunity of traveling. The food and stuff are well served and the air
hostess shows their warm hospitability that can delight any one who travels by
air for the first time. The air plane industry owner tries to provide the home
environment during the travel by air. The state of the art technology and the
digital equipment of entertainment take you in the world of imagination.
Air travel is very
convenience especially when you are in a hurry or rush situation. Schank (2005)
discussed about several pricing strategy of the airline industry. The peak and
off-peak pricing and its effect on the passengers to take air transport have
been highlighted in their study.You can book the air ticket easily by making a
phone call to any traveling agent. There are several organizations that may
assist you in answering your quires about air travel.
Air transportation
system brings us the opportunity to move the cargo in very quickest and fastest
time. Journey by air is very pleasant and interesting. It gives good feelings
and excitement to the passengers on board. The outside scenery observed from
the plane is very charming.
Air Transport makes the
far distance place very close. We can now go anywhere in the world within very
short time. The transport of human and the cargo are two types of service the
airline industry serves.
With the expansion of
global business and transaction with distant parts of the world, it requires a
swift mode of transport system. People are previously in search of the need of
such type of service. Now with the invention of modern science air transport
meets the hidden desire of people to move from one place to another by air. The
air transport system is a blessing of the modern science which unveils the
opportunities of serving a distinct group of people who want to travel by air.
Apart from other transportation medium like
transport by water or road transportation, air transportation is very much
popular and useful mode of transportation. Now business head managers and top
officials of the state can attend any foreign meeting and programs quickly with
the help of air transport and come back within very short time.