ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to give an overall examination of the abilities of the early aviation entrepreneurs. In each case, they all had to learn management and technical skills on the job, and reach a compromise on their desire to be directly involved with flying and the design of aircraft, and their desire to raise capital, employ large numbers of staff and run industrial concerns. This compromise took a variety of forms; the key, however, was being able to achieve this balance and to organise a large industrial undertaking, while at the same time retaining the considerable initial enthusiasm of the early flyers and designers.
