Welcome to our National Aviation History Month research guide! Below is a list of resources for beginning research into the history of aviation and aerospace. We also have a guide about the history of women in aviation and aerospace and a guide about air mail pilots which are also available on this page. Scroll down to view the resources and find our other guides.
In November 2023, the University Library featured an air mail display with artifacts from the Air Mail Service. On display were a helmet, scarf, and goggles worn by William Maxfield, an air mail mechanic stationed in Salt Lake City, Utah in the early 1920s. Bill Maxfield was predominantly a mechanic, but according to family history would fly routes when needed. Bill later became Chief of Mechanics for Trans World Airlines (TWA). The display also included pictures of William Maxfield and his fellow crew members as well as air mail service stamps.
The United States Air Mail Service also known as the Aerial Mail Service was created by the United States Post Office Department, the predecessor of today’s United States Postal Service, to deliver mail via airplane. From 1918 to 1927, the Post Office Department built and operated the nation’s air mail service by establishing routes, training pilots, and testing aircraft. Learn more about the Air Mail Service and its pioneering pilots by viewing our Air Mail History guide!
In honor of National Aviation History Month, the CSU Stanislaus library created a guide detailing government information resources about women in aviation and aerospace history. This guide highlights women in aviation from the early 1900s to the present day! Click the image below to open the Women in Aviation and Aerospace guide.
