Key Milestones in Aviation History Exam Questions and Answers

Key Milestones in Aviation History Exam Questions and Answers Frank Whittle - Designed the world's first turbojet engine for use in any airplane. The de Havilland Comet - The world's first pure jet airliner. Chuck Yeager - The first man to penetrate the sound barrier. The National Security Act - The act that started the United States Air Force in 1947. The United States and the Soviet Union - The two major powers in the Cold War. August 6, 1945 - The date the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, devastating Japan and hastening the end of World War II. The Battle of Midway - The battle where the Japanese sent hundreds of their best pilots to defend Japan. Coral Sea and Midway - Significant battles that were turning points in the Pacific, where air power played a decisive role. Island hopping - The strategy used by the United States to reclaim Pacific islands during World War II. Bessie Coleman - The first licensed black female pilot. 2 | P a g e Katelyn Whitman© 2025, All Rights Reserved. The Ninety-Nines (99s) - An association of women pilots that the Women's Air Derby led to. Tuskegee Airmen - A group of African American pilots who flew in World War II. Allied nations - Reduced or disbanded much of their air power at the end of World War I. The Soviet Union - The only major power to use female pilots in combat during World War II. Pearl Harbor - The primary purpose of the Japanese attack was to cripple the U.S. Pacific Fleet and prevent American interference in