9781422280201

B y 2016, the U.S. Air Force was nearly 70 years old, having been established in 1947. Although it is one of the youngest elements of the U.S. military, it is the most potent air force in existence today. In December 1903, the pioneers of powered flight, the Wright brothers, flew the first heavier-than-air aircraft, a biplane called the “Flier.” The flight at the sands of Kitty Hawk, NC, began the history of civil and military aviation and the history of the United States Air Force (USAF).

The Wright Military Flyer arriving at Fort Meyer, VA, in 1908.

Words to Understand Airship: Large aircraft without wings, filled with gas, and powered by a motor. Inexorable: Not able to be stopped or changed. Tactician: Someone who is good at making plans to achieve goals.

D efending the S kies : T he A ir F orce

9