After Chuck Yeager's supersonic flight in 1947, aviation entered a new era dominated by jets.

The years following the war saw the aviation industry grow in leaps and bounds. The military airforce developed more effective planes to address the arms race with Russia. The B-47 and B-52 bombers were built to be used to deliver nuclear bombs. They were the world's heaviest bombers and could hold up to 99,206 pounds of bombs. Early bombers flew so high that the crew had to wear pressure suits but later they were used at low altitude because they were harder to locate with radar.

In September, 1955, a contract was awarded to North American Aviation for the X-15 plane which could fly at 4,500 miles per hour at an altitude of at least 70,000 feet. 54 percent of its total weight was its fuel (18,000 pounds). The total weight of the X-15 was 33,000 pounds. Though only three of this type of plane were built they flew a total of over 200 times. The highest speed ever reached was about 4,525 miles per hour or Mach 6.72.

In 1958, the first American commercial jet, the 707, was put into service by the Boeing Company. The commercial liners were an instant hit with passengers who appreciated the faster flying time. Again new records were set. By 1966 both Lockheed and Douglas Aircraft Corporations had entered the commercial industry giving rise to competition and the development of new technologies.

During the Vietnam War the use of military air power was somewhat limited by policy in Washington. President Nixon launched the only strategic bombing campaign of the war. Many fliers were shot down over Southeast Asia. They were recently honored in a ceremony dedicating the Missing Man Monument at Randolph Air Force Base, in Texas.

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1975 AD