AIR

TRANSPORTATION
WHAT IS AVIATION?

One of the best ways to start a topic is to make sure definitions are the same for all. Air transportation uses a
number of jargon and terms that may have different meanings in another field.

AVIATION
-is a general term that originated from the French word “avi”, meaning bird. The researched meaning of aviation is
a noun that means the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air
aircraft. This definition covers a system that has a reference to air transportation.

GENERAL AVIATION
The International Civil Aviation Organization (2009) defines general aviation as "all civil aviation operations other
than scheduled air services and non-scheduled air transport operations for remuneration or hire.' Ilt involves
activities such as business flights, air charter, private aviation, flight training, ballooning, paragliding, parachuting,
gliding, hang gliding, aerial photography, foot-launched powered hang gliders, air ambulance, crop dusting, charter
flights, traffic reporting, police air patrols, and forest fire fighting. General aviation is a wider term. The airports in
the Philippines see several general aviation activities. Aside from the number of commercial flights taking off and
landing at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, general aviation contributes to the airport's congestion.
COMMERCIAL AVIATION

Though commercial aviation is part of general aviation, commercial aviation can be differentiated as activities
that involve flying for business, remuneration, or hire. The best example is the scheduled flights of commercial
airlines that operate in major airports.

MILITARY AVIATION
Military aviation involves using military aircraft and other flying machines. It is usually done for national
security, warfare, logistics deployment to military personnel, and other military purposes. It may include
carrying civilian passengers who need to be evacuated or repatriated.

HISTORY OF AVIATION
Aviation history can be divided into two categories. One is a lighter-than-air development
aircraft, and another is a heavier-than-air development aircraft. Several significant events helped shape the
aviation world as it is today through these two categories.
LIGHTER-THAN-AIR AIRCRAFT DEVELOPMENT

When aviation is talked about, what comes to mind are airplanes that are heavier-than-air aircraft.
But other than heavier-than-air aircraft, there are also lighter-than-air. Examples of lighter-than-air
aircraft are hot air balloons and airships or blimps. The first successful hot air balloon was created
by the French brothers, Joseph Michel and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier. The flight in November
1783 took to the air science teacher Jean-Francois Pilâtre.de Rozier and the Marquis d'Arlandes,
Francois Laurent (The Montgolfier Brothers' Balloon, n.d.). The brothers experimented using paper
and fabric for the balloon that used fire to produce hot air. A basket was attached to the balloon
where the passengers boarded (The First Hot Air Balloon Flight, n.d.).

In Philippine airspace, the first light was on a hot air balloon flown by Portuguese acrobat C. F.
Marquez who performed during a carnival exhibition in Manila on April 4, 1909. His performance
was recorded in Philippine aviation history as the first air travel. Today, hot air balloons are used for
countryside sightseeing tours in places like Cappadocia, Turkey, and Serengeti, Tanzania. The
Philippines also hosts a ballooning event once a year in Pampanga for ballooning and aviation
enthusiasts.
Another lighter-than-air aircraft is the airship, dirigible, or blimp. An airship is a rigid cigar- shaped
aircraft with propellers. In the article of Freudenrich (n.d.), Henri Giffard built the first successful
airship in 1852. The more popular airship, the Zeppelin, was designed by Count Ferdinand von
Zeppelin in 1900. It had a rigid metal framework and used hydrogen gas.

Zeppelins were used for both military and commercial purposes. The most famous among the
Zeppelins was the Hindenburg, which carried passengers across the North Atlantic. It was tragically
destroyed by fire in 1937. That event ended the career of the Zeppelin as a commercial aircraft.
Though not very often, blimps can still be seen flying today in other countries outside the Philippines.
It is used more for advertising and TV commercials than for other purposes.

There are several personalities who have contributed to the initial designs of the first successful
heavier-than-air aircraft. The ideas and aerial concepts of Leonardo da Vinci, George Cayley, Otto
Lilienthal, John Stringfellow, Lawrence Hargrave, and Samuel Langley led to the success of Wilbur
and Orville Wright, better known as the Wright brothers. These men are not all engineers or
scientists but have been intrigued by the desire for man to fly like birds.
Though Leonard Da Vinci is well known for his artistic paintings such as the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper,
his other works have influenced aviation development. As a young boy, he was fascinated with flight and
studied how birds fly (Williams, 2014). He sketched flying machines such as the ornithopters. His aviation
designs included machines with a pilot in a prone position, standing vertically, using arms and legs (Jakab,
2013).

The gliders that were developed around 1853 are considered the first successful heavier-than-air aircraft.
Gorn (2001) shared that though most of his designs were unmanned gliders, British engineer George Cayley
was able to fly his glider across a small valley, thus earning the privilege of being the first successful airman.

According to Gorn (2001), Otto Lilienthal studied the ideas of Sir Cayley of how birds fly as well. He built
several gliders and flew almost 2,000 controlled flights with fixed- wing crafts. His works later influenced the
Wright brothers, as well as other engineers and aviation designers (Early Gliders, n.d.) John Stringfellow is
another personality in aviation development. He was an Englishman known in the lace industry. Due to his
fascination with the steam engine, together with William Henson, they designed the Aerial Steam Carriage in
1842. Their attempts to build flying machines powered by lightweight steam engines were not successful.
ORNITHOPTERS
The most famous personalities in aviation history are Orville and Wilbur Wright, bicycle shop owners. According
to Van der Linden et al. (2016), the brothers successfully flew the Wright glider in 1902. A year later, in
December 1903, the two brothers achieved the first manned flight with their Wright flyer, giving them rights to
the claim of the first successful manned flight in history.

Gallery of Aviation Development Personalities

The success of the Wright brothers with their Wright Flyer proved that man could fly. Most of the earlier uses of
the airplane were for the military and eventually for wars. Aircraft were mostly built for reconnaissance. When
the war ended, airplanes were put to commercial use, such as carrying mail and passengers.
Mass air travel was prominent around 1945 to 1960. After World War ll, tourism was used to promote economic
aid and cultural diplomacy (Van Vleck, 2013). Airplanes used to transport servicemen and women during the
war were converted as aircraft to carry civilians for leisure and tourism purposes. Planes were then used for
economic and tourism development rather than for mass destruction. It was around this time that airline
companies around the world started to rebuild their transportation business.
Van Vleck (2013) researched that the jet age started with Pan Am flight 111 "jet-age pioneers" from New
York to Paris onboard a Boeing 707 on October 26, 1958. The flight took only 7 hrs and 34 minutes
compared to the previous 11-hour flight using a piston engine. Boeing, a U.S.-based aerospace company,
built the aircraft that started a revolution in air travel.

The record set by the jet age was later broken with the entry of the. Concorde, an aircraft that brought the
industry into the supersonic age in 1973. Travel between Paris and New York took only 3 and 1/2 hours.
The success of the Concorde did not last long. It retired after 15 years and has not been used since. No
other aircraft has broken the Concorde's speed record (Blum, 2019).

HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE AVIATION

The Philippines is known for shipbuilding. The Department of Trade and Industry (2017) reported that
Philippine-based shipbuilders have exported ships since 1994. However, the country is not known for
airplane manufacturing. Airline companies will have to complete their fleet by ordering aircraft from aircraft
manufacturers overseas.
Aviation history is viewed from a different perspective, that is, through milestones throughout the years.
Aviation came to the Philippines as early as 1911, just eight years after the successful
flight in Kittyhawk. And commercial aviation followed when the first mail service was
delivered by Tom Gunn in 1914. But aviation has gone a long way now.

Philippine Firsts
The following firsts were written in the book titled 100 years of Philippine Aviation
(1909-2009): A focus on Airline Management by Dr. Avelino Zapanta, a former president
and chief operating officer of Philippine Airlines (Zapanta, 2005).
On February 27, 1911, James "Bud" C. Mars flew his red devil biplane 10 miles out of
Manila. Though it seems a simple feat, it was recorded in history as the first cross-country
flight in the Philippines
The first Filipino passenger was Gagaban, an Igorot chieftain flown over Luneta Park
(now Rizal Park) by Lee Hammond on February 12, 1912. But even with a passenger, it was
not a commercial activity. The flight was during an airshow.
Cora Wong, a nurse from the Chinese General Hospital, won a popularity contest
whose prize was to fly with Tom Gunn on April 11, 1914. The momentous event made her
the first woman passenger in Philippine aviation history. Tom Gunn made two other firsts aside from flying
Cora Wong. On the same day, he dropped a bag of mail for the Manila Post Office. This event proves the
viability of air transportation as a commercial venture. The next day, on April 12, 1914, Tom Gunn flew
to Guam, bringing with him Rosario Reyes, who was recorded as the first international
passenger.

It was late 1919 when the first airline was established in the Philippines. Major Joseph E. H. Stevenot and
Alfred J. Croft incorporated Philippine Airways Service, Inc (PASI) to operate commercial airmail between
Manila, Cebu, and lloilo. Other businessmen followed suit soon after. Below is a table to show the
chronological creation of major airline companies in the Philippines.

In 1931, the Philippine government saw the need to create an office to handle aviation matters. The office'
was then organized under the Department of Commerce and Communications (WCC Aviation Company,
n.d.).
Following this event, several entrepreneurs and businessmen ventured into the airline industry. Here are some of the
more significant companies that were established in 1919.

AIRLINE NAME DATE ESTABLISHED OWNERS/INCORPORATORS NOTES

PHILIPPINE AIRWAYS NOV. 1919 MAJOR JOSEPH E.H. STEVENOT,
SERVICE, INC. (PASI) ALFRED J. CROFT
PHILIPPINE AIR SERVICE JULY 1920 THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT
(PAS)
PHILIPPINE AIRWAYS, INC. NOVEMBER 1927 S.F. AUBREY, W. BRIGGMAN, Was not able to
(PAI) RAFAEL ALUNAN,A.B. CRESAP, operate; later
CRISANTO DELOS REYES, named as
FLORENTINO CAIRUZ, AND Philippine Airlines
ALFRED CROFT

AVIATION CORPORATION MAY 25, 1929 FULGENCIO BORROMEO, CLYDE Was not able to
OF THE PHILIPPINES A DEWITT, JUAN M. ELIZALDE, operate for lack of
(ACP) RAMON FERNANDEZ, CARLOS, qualified pilots.
AND LEOPOLDO KALAW
Compania Aerea July 12, 1930 Spanish businessmen Was not able to operate due
to financial constraints

Philippine Aerial Taxi December 3, 1930 Emil Bachrach, Joseph Operated non-scheduled
Company (PATCO) Stevenot, and Andres services; filed bankcuptcy in
Soriano June 1940

Iloilo-Negros Air Express April 1932 Lopez family Ceased operations in 1947
Company (INAEC)

Air Manila 1964 Merged with Philippine

Airlines in 1973 and ceased
operations in 1984.

Aerolift August 1982 Lead by Carmelo Flores Closed due to financial

difficulties in 1996

Star Asia Airlines 1994 Vicente de Villa Jr. Ceased operations in 1996
Grandair December 1994 EL & E Aviation Consultants, Closed due to financial
Inc. constraints brought about by
1997 Asian contagion

Cebu Pacific (CPA) March 1989 JG Group

Air Philippines Corporation
(APC)
Asian Spirit Airline (ASA)
Sea Air Corporation (SEAIR)
Corporate Air
Laoag International Airways
(LIA)
Zest Air
October 1990 Taken over by Philippine
Airlines and later renamed
PAL Express
October 1990 Later brought by Zesto,
became Zest Air, and then
sold to Philippine Air Asia
1996 Iren Dornier Merged with Tiger Air
Singapore and then later
sold to JG Group to become
Cebgo.
1995 Headed by Albert Lina Initially operated as a non-
scheduled carrier.
1995 Chaired by Shirley Ng Stopped operations after a
couple of fatal air accidents
2008 Rebranded as Air Asia Zest in
2013
SIGNIFICANCE OF AIR TRANSPORTATION

Rodrigue et al. (2013) wrote that the reason transportation exists is to remove the distance created by
space. This distance is often determined by man and physical attributes that include time and topography.
He further explained that the goal of transportation is to transform the geographical attributes of freight, and
people" (Rodrigue et al., 2013). This clarifies how important transportation is, in general, to society.
Transportation supports human activities. It connects countries, regions, and the rest of the world.

The importance of transportation cannot be undermined in tourism. Tourism involves

bringing tourists to destinations using different modes of transportation. With this, there
is a symbiotic relationship between tourism and transportation.
CATEGORIES OF AIRCRAFT

Aircraft or air transport vehicles can be categorized according to their size and how maneuverable
they are, Based on the CFR-14 categorization, the 10 categories of aircraft are acrobatic,
commuter, experimental, light sport, limited, normal, primary, restricted, transport, and utility
(Aircraft Categories and Classes Explained, 2018). The article from Aircraft Categories and
Classes Explained (2018) defined the different
aircraft categories as follows:

1. Acrobatic Airplanes - These are airplanes not restricted by flight maneuvers. They have a
maximum of passenger seats and do not weigh more than 12,500 pounds or approximately 5,700
kilograms. The flexibility of in-flight maneuvers allows these aircraft to perform aerobatics or
special stunts, such as rolls and
loops. They are often used in air shows.

2. Commuter Airplanes -Airplanes of this category are limited to have 19 or fewer passengers and
weigh no more than 19,000 pounds or 8,618 kilograms. They are multi-engine and propeller-
driven. Pomroy (2016) added that they are typically used for short-distance travel to and from
small airports with short runways.
Experimental Airplanes - These aircraft may not have been fully proven in flight, hence the name
experimental. They may be amateur-built or kit-built aircraft. They are sometimes unmanned or
used for light sport. It is further explained in Experimental Aircraft (n.d.) that these aircraft are
typically used for experimental aircraft for research and development, crew training, exhibitions,
air racing, or surveys.

Light Sport Aircraft- LSA is how some know this airplane category. It is given a special
airworthiness certificate for operations. Some classify two-seat ultralight-type aircraft, powered
parachutes, antiques, and classics airplanes, the composite aircraft as LSA. According to an
article from EAA Airventure, getting a sport aircraft certificate is half the time faster than the
regular pilot license (Light-Sport Aircraft, n.d.). This convenience makes recreational flight easier
for adventure seekers.

Limited Airplanes - Airplanes categorized as limited are either modified or converted military
aircraft, which is currently being used for civilian purposes. These airplanes are usually military
surplus planes. The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has issued an order to restrict the use of
limited airplanes for commercial purposes (Special Airworthiness Certificate, n.d.).
Normal Aircraft - Airplanes categorized as normal airplanes have the same size as acrobatic
planes, that is having a maximum weight of 12,500 pounds and nine or fewer passenger
seats. The difference lies in the fact that they have approval for acrobat flights. An answer
posted in What ls the Difference Between Normal