When it comes to the history of Flying, it will perhaps be fair to use the expression Boeing Forward rather than Going Forward.
Mr William Boeing, a rich timber merchant, was inspired in 1909 by a ‘manned flying machine’ made by someone else at an expo and decided to build better aircraft than that. He founded Pacific Aero Products Co. in 1916, and brought out Boeing 1 Seaplane. A year later, the name was changed to Boeing Airplane Company, and as the US had entered the First World War, he was given an order for 50 aircraft. By the end of the War, he was into airmail services and later, into passenger services that led to the creation of the United Airlines.
Although Mr Boeing sold his interests in the company in 1934 during the American Economic Depression, he became its consultant during the World War II and continued in that position till his death in 1956. By then, the Boeing Airplane Co. had also entered the jet age.
This is the Aviation pioneer’s brief history.
But his dreams at the beginning of the age of flying have shrunk the globe. The 20th century saw the advent of many technologies and advances in science and medicine. Mr Boeing is one of the few Men of those days Who Changed the World.
As a young boy, like many others, I wanted to be combat pilot. I had spectacles by the time I was 13, but my interest in aviation never waned. In my college days, I used to get US editions of magazines like the Life and Reader’s Digest. Boeing, GE, Hughes, and General Dynamics were big advertisers in them. War movies were of great interest and there was a comedy film Boeing, Boeing which depicted how a poor man’s love life with three air hostesses was mauled when Boeing’s jet planes replaced the slow flying propeller aircraft and brought the girls one after the other to his house.
There was enough material to sustain interest, and later, as an Aviation Correspondent and then as a Foreign Correspondent for many years in the 1980s and 1990s, I was out twice a month at least on Boeing 737s in the Middle East, and occasionally to Europe on my most favourite, the Boeing 747.
Of course, the aviation industry has expanded to keep up the demands of a rising global population, and there is formidable competition now from Airbus. There are gentlemen nonetheless in aviation, and Airbus sent a hearty message of Congratulations to the Boeing Company on its 100th Anniversary last month. Mr Boeing’s inspiring legacy has been honoured by everyone.
Boeing meanwhile has gone very far, into space, combat aircraft and missiles and laser weapons. The Space Shuttle and other US space programmes are primarily run by Boeing.
I cannot exactly say where but I dream that Boeing will be a million years farther over the next 100 years, spaceships included.
As an admirer, I will say: Boeing Forward, Aye Aye!
Gulshan Rai Luthra
