Today, the First Day of the Jet Age

August 7, 2012 at 11:53 AM | by JetSetCD | Comments (0)

While it's true that the birthplace of aviation is the state of Ohio, the birth of the jet age happened on the other end of the country, in Seattle, WA when, 57 years ago today, the public got a first glimpse of Boeing's 367-80 (the "Dash-80" for short), the prototype plane which would become the 707.

While purists will point out that it was actually BOAC (the precursor to today's British Airways) who had the first commercial jetliner with their de Havilland Comet, the Boeing 707 was far more successful (and less crashy). So, we return to that day that stunned the public—August 7, 1955 at the Seafair Gold Cup Hydroplane Race.

Above you can watch the plane's debut, as pilots "Tex" Johnson and James Gannett roll the plane to show off to the crowds (and Boeing's president, William Allen).

As you can probably infer from our recent coverage of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, this time of the year is prime for Air Shows. This last weekend was Seafair 2012, the modern variant of the Gold Cup Hydroplane Race, which thankfully still includes hydroplane racing but also adds the latest in maritime and aviation displays. Catch it next year, when Seafair begins with a Boeing-sponsored "Parade of Flight" on July 31, 2013. Or hey, see the real thing (still in those snazzy colors pictured above) within the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center right at Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD).

**Special shout-out to our friend @whitesky60, who reminded us of today's importance in the history of aviation.

[Photo: wikimedia]

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