It's hard to imagine that something we hardly -- or never -- think about could have an irrevocable impact on our lives. First lets think about the easy ones, like early weapons. Nothing more than pointy sticks-- the earliest weapons were an innovation that kick started civilization. Fast-forward a handful of centuries and we have civilizations actually melting metal and fabricating tools, weapons, and jewelry. What that would one day lead to would be the technology that allows us to explore space, protect our borders with fighter jets, and travel around the globe. So the question begging to be asked is, where has aerospace machining taken you?

The aerospace industry is one of the top industries when it comes to the sheer number of individuals employed and the staggering amount of money invested and spent on various aerospace components. And as you probably know, it all begin shortly after the wright brothers flew the first plain in 1903.

While aircraft production remained relatively limited to experimentation and hobby at first, five years after the wright brothers’ initial flight the Wrights won a contract to make an aircraft for the U.S. Army, while also licensing patents allowing the French company, Astra, the right to produce aircraft in France. At the same time, many aircraft hobbyists shifted into a more entrepreneurial mindset and began actually selling their aircraft.

With aircraft production becoming a major point of focus for many at a key period before the war, the post-war industrial climate presented the world with a vastly improved infrastructure that would foster a seriously improved climate for the industry to take off.

For instance, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics was established in May 1915 in the US, universities began offering engineering courses in aeronautics, American aircraft designers formed a patent pool, and aircraft manufacturers formed the Aircraft Manufacturing Association. However, while the industry seriously began to take hold in this time period, it wasn’t until the 1920’s that the airplane adopted its modern shape.

Fast forward to today and the aerospace industry has given way to innovation in countless other industries, but it wouldn’t be anywhere – and you couldn’t go everywhere – if it wasn’t for aerospace machining. For years, the aerospace industry has provided the ultra-precise machining necessary to keep us in the air, in space, and everywhere in between.

By taking advantage of ultra precise CNC operated milling and turning machines, aerospace machinists are capable of extremely tight tolerances necessary in aircraft -- ensuring the performance and reliability that are absolutely critical in aerospace applications. However, aerospace machining has an impact on far more than airplanes.

Aerospace machining also produces vital components for missiles, miniature aircraft components, optical laser housings, parts for unmanned aerial vehicles, satellite components, and more.

So next time you hop a flight or watch a satellite slowly trail across the sky, take a moment and think about it. The very early form of aerospace machining practiced by the Wright Brothers so many years ago was one of the key starting points for industries and technologies that have changed humanity forever – and that’s not even close to an exaggeration.