A little more meat for those still curious...a welcoming email with an indication for what's in store for participants.
"Hello xxxx
The course has now started and I hope you are looking forward to it as much as we are. With 'real' events going on in the middle-east we can be sure that air power will remain centre stage for some months to come. Our course comes at a great time to look back at the origins of military aviation and to search for enduring themes.
You can access your course here:
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/...tion/todo/1165
In Week 1, we'll use BBC archival interviews with some of the earliest aviation pioneers, to find out how they took to the air, teaching themselves to fly - from scratch - in their own inventions! We'll also look at the earliest literature on flight and the potential of wreaking havoc from the air.
In Week 2, we'll move through World War 1, examining how aviation played an increasingly important role - the days of air-to-air combat had begun in earnest.
In the final week, we'll look at the years after the war and examine how pilots, engineers and entrepreneurs continued to develop aircraft and how - as World War 2 approached - untold devastation from the air grew ever more likely.
During the course, you can discuss your ideas in the discussions with me, and Drs James Pugh and Matthew Powell - my colleagues from the University of Birmingham's Centre for War Studies, who bring a wealth of knowledge of air power and military history. We do hope you will engage in the debate concentrating mainly on the course content, but with a taste of more current events where they link back.
There's still time to invite friends and colleagues to join the course and take part alongside you. Having the support of people you know can really enrich the experience of studying online. As a reminder, the course page where they can enrol can be found here:
http://www.futurelearn.com/courses/ww1-aviation
There'll be plenty of opportunity to interact with other learners once the course begins, if you wish. In the meantime, feel free to use the hashtag #FLaviation for any discussions in social networks."