National Aviation Week Celebrates the History of Flight
National Aviation Week Celebrates the History of Flight
Long before the Wright brothers made the first powered, sustained flight, humans dreamed of flying. Some of the earliest attempts were comical, others genuinely dangerous – but the aspiration to soar has been one of humanity's most persistent.
To honor that history, the week surrounding August 19th is celebrated as National Aviation Week. The date holds special significance: it's Orville Wright's birthday. Together, Orville and his brother Wilbur embodied the spirit of invention and exploration, pioneering the design of heavier-than-air powered aircraft at a time when most people considered the idea impossible.
The Wright brothers started as bicycle shop owners, and the mechanical ingenuity they developed there proved essential to the design of the world's first motorized fixed-wing aircraft. The three-axis control system they invented laid the groundwork for how aircraft are controlled to this day – a lineage that runs directly through to modern avionics.
At Pilot John International® (PJi®), that connection to aviation's foundations runs through everything we do. As a global distributor and service center for top-brand ground support equipment (GSE), avionics test equipment, aircraft parts, tooling, consumables, safety equipment, and pilot supplies, our team brings genuine passion for aviation to every product recommendation and customer interaction. We offer purchasing, lease-to-own, and rental options, and our aviation specialists are always ready to help you find the right equipment for your aircraft.
That passion is personal for many of us. In honor of National Aviation Week, meet some of our team members as they share what aviation means to them.
Courtney
Staff Accountant“Aviation to me is so fascinating, and thankfully has become a big piece of my everyday life now that I work here at PJi! As a little girl, I always wanted to be a pilot, and I used to try to jump off anything standing still to see if I could fly. Luckily, no broken bones ensued. I've honestly only flown twice, but it has allowed me to visit family in other parts of the country, and my brother-in-law is a Delta pilot based in Salt Lake City, so I am always eager to hear about his job. Growing up in Eastern NC, so close to Kitty Hawk, the Wright Brothers were ingrained in my childhood, and I always felt like North Carolina was extra special because of these brothers and their amazing accomplishments for humanity! I feel extremely lucky to have found a job where I get to combine my accounting skills with my love of aviation!”
Triston
Assistant Sales Manager“I've always thought aviation was one of the most impressive and interesting areas of innovation! Growing up very close to Kitty Hawk, I have always marveled at the thought of what just two brothers flying their contraptions in Kill Devil Hills over 100 years ago has turned into! Seeing how their invention has developed into connecting the world socially and economically is something I don't even think the Wright Brothers could have seen coming. I feel very fortunate to be living in an age where we can utilize these inventions because the sky is really the limit when it comes to Aviation!”
Kelly
Inventory & Procurement Coordinator“Aviation is the fastest way to get back home and to see my loved ones. Flight has allowed me not only to visit friends and family but also to experience entirely different ways of living. Flying has allowed me to get an up-close look at different cultures and paces of life that shaped my worldview. Traveling via air is the most efficient way to get to a new destination and, in turn, a new mindset.”
Ross
Inventory Manager“Aviation is a unique industry that connects people to places, dreams, and relationships that would not be possible otherwise. To see the progress we have made since the Wright brothers' first flight in 1903 is inspirational, and I cannot wait to see how far we go in my lifetime. I feel extremely blessed to start my career in an industry that is growing, innovating, and changing on a daily basis.”
Thomas
Web Developer“Thomas checking in from the digital cockpit at PJi. Like many of you, whenever I heard the distant hum of an airplane, I'd instinctively look up, lost in the marvel of it all. For the longest time, beyond the occasional trip, that fleeting glimpse was my entire relationship with aviation. Now, just stepping into this field, what stands out to me is the precision – something I can resonate with. In coding, like in flying, one wrong line or a slight misdirection can send things into a tailspin. Here's to keeping our projects and planes on the right trajectory!”
Jon Lancaster
Chief Financial Officer“For me, aviation is a passion that started almost at birth. My father earned his license about four months before I was born. Some of my earliest memories are of spending weekends on the old North Ramp of RDU doing one thing or another to my dad's airplane (usually cleaning it). As with others, even the slightest airplane sound has me looking skyward. While I don't get to do it nearly often enough, flying remains my favorite pastime. As Leonardo da Vinci said, centuries before the Wright Brothers visited Kitty Hawk, "When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes skyward. For there you have been, and there you will always long to return." The opportunity to work in an aviation company, among such a committed team, is one for which I am thankful every day.”
Cydney
Aviation Specialist“Aviation is the reason I have an opportunity to see more of the world outside of the area I live in. It gives me the chance to visit family and long-distance friends, or simply to learn about different cultures outside the one I know. As a kid, I was always so amazed by flight attendants, and by the speech they would give before the flight took off (I even memorized it). They live day to day, making sure the passengers on their flights are cared for by any means necessary, starting with the safety of everyone on board.”
Taylor
Aviation Specialist“Growing up as an Air Force kid, I was always fascinated by planes. Because of my dad, I got to play in the cockpit of a C-17. Back then, my school mascot was a B-2 Bomber. I never thought I'd work in aviation, but it's been a blessing! Flying not only gives me the opportunity to travel for pleasure and with my family, but also introduces me to new cultures, places, and foods! Aviation brings cultures, families, and people together.”
