Midweek Sortie 05: DEEP DIVE: “The Story of AMERICAN AVIATION” by JIM RAY

From the wood-and-fabric biplanes to the thunder of jet engines, Ray’s book charts the remarkable rise of American aviation.

Let us salute our military leaders who have visualized the need for air power; the men who have designed and built our great engines and airplanes, and the leaders of commercial aviation who have made air travel fast, safe, and economical.

—Jim Ray

In 1903, a fragile machine skimmed across the sands of Kitty Hawk for just twelve seconds. By the time one American teenager grew old enough to watch aviation with clear eyes, airplanes were already landing faster than that first flight ever flew.

That sense of whiplash—of progress moving faster than memory—sits at the heart of this week’s Midweek Sortie.

For the first time, I’m stepping away from a single aircraft or battle and opening the pages of a book instead. The Story of American Aviation, written in 1946 by Jim Ray, isn’t just a history. It’s a snapshot of how Americans understood flight at the exact moment the world shifted from propellers to jets, from war to uneasy peace.

This members-only piece explores why that perspective matters, what Ray got right, what time has reshaped, and why looking backward through a post-war lens can teach us something important about where aviation is headed today.

If you enjoy the “why” behind the machines—and the people who lived through aviation’s fastest leap—this one’s written for you.