Aviation has a rich history. Here are some aviation trivia and fun facts. Share them with your friends!

• Orville Wright completed the first heavier-than-air flight on December 17, 1903. at Kitty Hawk, NC.
• In 2001 Helios, an unmanned solar-powered aircraft broke the record for the highest flight of a non-rocket-powered aircraft. It flew to a height of 96,863 feet above the ground.
• In October, 1967, Major William J. “Pete” Knight broke the record for the fastest airplane. The rocket-powered X-15 A-2 reached a speed of 4,520 miles per hour. This is over six times the speed of sound.
• The Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia is the busiest airport in the world. It handles nearly 75 million passengers per year.
• At any point, there may be up to 5,000 planes in the air at the same time in the United States alone. 
• On May 24, 1991, an El Al Boeing 747 carried a record 1,088 people during an evacuation from Ethiopia.
• Only 5% of the people in the world have ever been on an airplane.
• Produced in 1933, the Boeing 247 was the first commercial airplane. It carried 10 passengers.
• The United States Armed Forces has over 14,000 aircraft in its inventory.
• Did you ever notice flight attendants during flight walking down aisles with their arms lifted and extended out? This is for balance so they don’t fall down or onto a passenger.
• Blankets on a plane are rarely washed.
• The majority of passenger seats are blue because this is a calming color.
• The seats in the back of a plane are the safest. 
• Over 26 million pieces of luggage are lost or delayed per year. Most of it eventually reaches the owner.
• Flying in a lightning storm is scary. But, it’s safe.