During the first century of flight there were distinct periods of intense innovation within the aerospace industry. During these eras advancements in materials, design and propulsion were being made on an almost annual basis leading to the obsolescence of military aircraft within one or two years of their introduction. Today the aerospace industry is heading into another era of intense innovation as unmanned systems are being developed for military, civil and scientific missions.

Flight has fascinated man from the moment early homo sapiens watched in envy the flying creatures of the past swiftly cross enormous distances in search of food – probably the only commodity of value at the beginning of mankind. Different things have value today and aviation is key to getting these things to us quickly, economically and safely.