But rigid airship design and advancement was truly pioneered by German count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, a name that would become synonymous with innovation... and destruction.
By the early 20th century Zeppelins were being flown commercially, carrying fare-paying passengers. During the Great War, the airships were deployed as bombers. Over 500 people in Britain alone were killed during air raids.
On July 25, 1909, Frenchman Louis Blériot (1872–1936) made the first airplane flight across the English Channel. He is pictured shortly before arriving at Northfall Meadow, close to Dover Castle, on the south coast of England.
On May 6, 1937 the German passenger airship LZ 129 Hindenburg exploded during its attempt to dock at Lakehurst, New Jersey. The disaster, recorded on newsreel and captured in photographs, effectively ended the airship era.
Commercial aviation took off exponentially in the post-war era. The first commercial jet airliner to fly was the British de Havilland Comet, introduced in the early 1950s. Here it is before a test flight in 1949.
The introduction into general service of Concorde in 1976 showcased a leap in technological and aesthetic aviation capabilities. Flying at over twice the speed of sound, Concorde remained the world's only supersonic passenger jet until it ceased operation in 2003, three years after the terrible crash of Air France Flight 4590, the only fatal accident involving Concorde.
Currently the world's largest passenger airliner, the double-deck Airbus A380 can accommodate up to 853 people if flown in an all-economy configuration.
What next? SpaceShipTwo, owned by Virgin Galactic, was designed with space tourism in mind. It's photographed resting under its mothership, White Knight Two.
On February 19, 2016, Virgin Galactic rolled out the VSS Unity, a suborbital rocket-powered manned space plane. The craft is currently undergoing test flights.
The history of aviation has followed a fascinating trajectory. Leonardo da Vinci first envisaged manned flight way back in the 15th century. Then came hot-air balloons, followed by gliders and airships, until the Wright brothers' historic powered flight in 1903. Today there are airliners that can carry hundreds of passengers non-stop half way round the world. And space tourism will one day be a reality.
Browse the following gallery and take off for a brief flight through the history of aviation, and meet some of the great pioneers of air travel along the way.
Who invented the plane? For many people in the world, it was not the Wright brothers
Enjoy some in-flight entertainment
LIFESTYLE Flying
The history of aviation has followed a fascinating trajectory. Leonardo da Vinci first envisaged manned flight way back in the 15th century. Then came hot-air balloons, followed by gliders and airships, until the Wright brothers' historic powered flight in 1903. Today there are airliners that can carry hundreds of passengers non-stop half way round the world. And space tourism will one day be a reality.
Browse the following gallery and take off for a brief flight through the history of aviation, and meet some of the great pioneers of air travel along the way.