American Aviation Historical Society

1958

President Eisenhower signs the National Aeronautics and Space Act, creating a new federal agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA). NASA’s stated goal is to enable the U.S. to lead the exploration of space for peaceful purposes to benefit humanity.

1959

The first jetway in the U.S. is installed at the International Airport in San Francisco, California. Designed to protect passengers from the weather when they board or leave the jet plane, it is a powered telescopic or collapsible corridor that extends to the aircraft and connects the plane to the terminal. They are commonplace in all airports today.

1912

Messages received at a distance of 10 miles during airplane radio telegraph tests

1937

Lockheed’s Model 14 Super Electra makes its first flight.

1952

A USAF North American RB-45 completes the first non-stop transpacific flight by jet aircraft.

1955

President Dwight Eisenhower endorses launching a small earth satellite the size of a basketball as a portion of US participation in the International Geophysical Year July 1957 to December 1958. The next day, the Soviet Union announces that it too plans to launch an earth satellite.

1958

Navy balloonists in plastic balloon set altitude record of 82,000 ft.