The Aviation Century. A book project that has grown into a unique aviation history resource which includes over 50,000 photographs, a 400,000 plus word text and a five volume series of books. This project began with a simple concept, formed in 1998. That aviation is a force of change, in fact it has changed the world we live in, more than any other factor in the 100 years of the 20th Century.

This resource includes all of the research done for more than a dozen previous books about Aviation History, numerous magazine articles, lectures and interviews with famous and significant aviators from around the world. The photography and new research was done in 6 countries on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

Our goal at the outset was to make new color images of the icons of aviation. The famous which reside in the great museums of the world, but also the hidden treasures which are found in the smaller and off the beaten path collections. Some of these subjects have been unavailable to be photographed for decades.

We are intensely aware of the human stories that make up this history. This project has been from the beginning an opportunity to recount the experiences of the men and women who had the vision, built and flew and kept flying and died making aviation history. This book does include the technical accomplishments of how high, how fast, how far but also why and who. Over 200 new portraits have been made of the individuals who made this history or who have been changed by aviation and itâs rich tapestry.

The materials included on this website and in these publications have been meticulously researched and gathered expressly for this project. Years of work and personal investment are represented here. We have made careful arrangements with the collections and museums around the world where we have traveled and worked. In all cases we owe them our debt of gratitude and the acknowledgment of our thanks.

We also declare that all of this work is copyrighted. The text copyrighted to Ron Dick, 2002 and photographs copyrighted to Dan Patterson, 2002. All rights reserved. None of this material may be used in any form, printed or electronic, without specific written permission of the owners. We will protect our work to the fullest extent of USA and international law.