By TTA Blog
Every year on August 19 the aviation industry celebrates National Aviation Day, established in 1939 by a proclamation of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The day also falls on Orville Wright’s birthday, and in fact was chosen in part to commemorates the Wright Brothers’ achievements in making aviation flight a reality.
Today, people often visit the Wright Brothers National Memorial at the U.S. National Park Service in Kitty Hawk, N.C. to honor the brothers’ contributions to the aviation industry. The memorial marks the spot where in 1903, Orville Wright took off for that first successful flight of 12 seconds and a distance of 120 feet.
“Just look at how far we’ve come since that day,” emphasizes Stanley Kowlessar, Jr., vice president of sales and marketing at Thrust Tech Accessories (TTA), an experienced MRO services company in South Florida. He points to the fact that nowadays, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) air traffic organization (ATO) in the U.S. alone handles more than 44,000 flights daily, representing nearly 3 million airline passengers across more than 29 million square miles of airspace. And globally, air traffic increased 13.6 percent in 2024, with capacity up 12.8 percent, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Proud to be Part of this Business
Today, the diverse world of aviation spans regional and international airlines, private planes, corporate aircraft, mainline air carriers, and rotorcraft operators. And as National Aviation Day approaches, TTA, with more than three decades of MRO experience, is proud to salute all the players in this vital industry – aviation operators, vendors, partners, and of course, MROs like Thrust Tech, and each of their employees. ”Every day, each of you makes us proud to be part of this business,” states Kowlessar, Jr.
“Here’s a great way to honor all those over the past decades who’ve contributed to aviation history – visit an air museum or important aviation spot around the country,” continues Kowlessar, Jr. For example, in South Florida, the Wings over Miami Aviation Museum at Miami Executive Airport is an excellent half-day outing.
Even closer to TTA’s headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, you’ll find the small Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum on the perimeter of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. In addition to air station artifacts and historical documents it preserves the memory of Flight 19, a military flight that took off from the station on December 5, 1945 and vanished within the Bermuda Triangle. Today, that remains one of military aviation’s greatest mysteries.
Throughout the U.S., you’ll also find many other enticing museums that showcase aviation history. For instance, the largest wooden airplane ever built was Howard Hughes’ famous Spruce Goose, a prototype H-4 Hercules flying boat. It flew only once in 1947 and is now proudly on display at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville, OR.
Another storied aircraft is the “Miracle on the Hudson” aircraft, an Airbus A320 operated by US Airways. When a bird strike took out the aircraft’s engines on takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in New York in 2009, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, assisted by First Officer Jeffrey Skiles, landed the plane on the Hudson River, an incredible feat that resulted in no casualties to passengers or crew members. The A320 was raised and is now on display as the centerpiece of the Sullenberger Aviation Museum in Charlotte, NC.
Alternatively, you might visit
- Museum of Flight in Seattle
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington D.C.
- National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, OH
- San Diego Air & Space Museum
- Frontiers of Flight, Dallas
If traveling in Europe, the Museum of Air and Space (Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace), Le Bourget, France, or the Imperial War Museum Duxford, U.K., are great spots to also delve into aviation history.
Kowlessar Jr. Visits SAC in Nebraska
This summer, Kowlessar Jr., visited one of TTA’s valued customers during a supplier summit, and one of the events during the trip was a visit to the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland, Neb. “It was a fabulous experience to see such a wide array of aircraft,” he said. “From a B-52 ‘Stratofortress’ to a B-25N ‘Mitchell’ to a B-17 ‘Flying Fortress’ and others, I’d definitely recommend a visit.”
Evolving every day, the aviation industry benefits local, state, and national economies, as well as the personal lives of many, by expanding the ability to explore the world. In fact, commercial aviation drove 5 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024. That’s $1.45 trillion dollars and 2.3 million direct and indirect jobs. In all, general aviation contributes $178 billion to the GDP and supports approximately 1.33 million jobs.
And in TTA’s important MRO sector of the aviation business, those companies that are certified by the FAA under Part 145 are actually the largest MRO employers. Nearly 189,000 MRO technicians all contribute each and every day to maintaining, repairing, and overhauling aircraft. “They keep planes in the air and foster safe flying,” stresses Kowlessar, Jr., “It takes a village for sure.” So, Happy National Aviation Day!
About Thrust Tech Accessories
Now in business for more than three decades, TTA is certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), European Aviation Safety Association (EASA) and the U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). “We strive to provide our valued customers with high-quality, on time, cost-effective MRO services with a strong focus on customer service as well as aircraft reliability and safety,” stresses Kowlessar. ”Let’s discuss your MRO needs and how TTA can assist your business.” Visit the TTA website for contact information.
