Fly, Fly Away

Since air travel is such a big part of our lives, at least mine this week (!!), I thought I would review its history for a few minutes. The Wright brothers flew the first successful flight December 17, 1903. A decade later, aircraft were a practical part of our military strategy in World War I. Charles Lindbergh made the first transatlantic flight in 1927.

According the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, there are more than 87,000 flights in the air each day in the United States; about 28,537 are commercial flights (the map here shows real-time flights for a given 5-minute period). In one year, air traffic controllers handle about 64 million takeoff and landings.

After seeing how many flights there are each day, it is easier for me to understand how one small issue can affect flights all over the country. According to the US Department of Transporation, the Top 10 Most Delayed Departure Airports 1 Year Ago were:

1. Atlanta, GA (ATL)
2. Chicago, IL (ORD)
3. Philadelphia, PA (PHL)
4. Washington, DC (IAD)
5. New York, NY (JFK)
6. Miami, FL (MIA)
7. Chicago, IL (MDW)
8. Newark, NJ (EWR)
9. Detroit, MI (DTW)
10. Dallas/Fort Worth, TX (DFW)

Lets all hope we aren't on one of those delayed flights! Safe travels.