ABSTRACT
Although military demand for aircraft was important in creating the modern aviation industry, after World War I, the commercial industry rose in importance. The purpose of this chapter, therefore, is to look at the career of two aviation pioneers who tended towards the construction of commercial rather than military aircraft. They also both wrote a great deal about their early experiences. Geoffrey de Havilland was inspired by the aeronautical flights of Wilbur Wright and remained directly involved in the industry up until 1955. Nevil Shute Norway came later to the industry, working for de Havilland and Vickers in the 1920s before founding Airspeed Ltd. in 1931.
