102 years ago today

[evangilder]

102 years ago today, a couple of bicycle repairmen from Ohio became the first men to have a documented powered flight. The flight lasted a very short 12 seconds, but began what we all love today, aviation. A coin was tossed to see who would fly it. Orville won the toss and you can see Wilbur in the photo below on the right. From a 120 feet flight to flying aircraft into space, we have come a long way in 102 years!

 

[Nonskimmer]

To those simple bicycle repairmen, we all owe a great big salute! Thank you fellas!

Even if it did lead to the P-3 (and CP-140), S-3, and other ASW aircraft.

 

[Gnomey]

Yes we owe them a lot (for a start their creation is why we are on this site). As you said Eric we have come an awful long way from those humble beginings.

 

[evangilder]

Having lived in Dayton Ohio for about 10 years myself, I have seen their old bicycle shop and original glider in Carillon Park. It is really a neat piece of history that I didn't appreciate as a kid the way I would now.

These 2 pioneers were something else.

 

[102first_hussars]

Oh hell I thought this Forum was about me.

 

[Nonskimmer]

You saw the word "simple" and came runnin', huh?

 

[FLYBOYJ]

To those simple bicycle repairmen, we all owe a great big salute! Thank you fellas!

Even if it did lead to the P-3 (and CP-140), S-3, and other ASW aircraft.

Hey NS .....

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

A coin was tossed to see who would fly it. Orville won the toss and you can see Wilbur in the photo below on the right

i'd heard that Wilbur made the first attept to fly it, but there was a problem/accident, so Orville had a go and it was he who made the record flight?

 

[Nonskimmer]

Cruel, Joe. Just cruel.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Thanks alot guys. Thanks for what I love.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Cruel, Joe. Just cruel.

 

[delcyros]

Great pioneers!

 

[JonJGoldberg]

Seems as though you guys will throw a party for just about any inconciquential event! Hats Off!!!

With a short dash down the runway, the machine lifted into the air and was flying. It was only a flight of twelve seconds, and it was uncertain, wavy, creeping sort of flight at best; but it was a real flight at last and not a glide.

— Orville Wright, first flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft.


Those who understand the real significance of the conditions under which we worked will be surprised rather at the length than the shortness of the flights made with an unfamiliar machine after less than one minute's practice. The machine possesses greater capacity of being controlled than any of our former machines.

— Wilbur Wright

It was absolutely perfect. You can handle this large aircraft as you can handle a bicycle."

— Jacques Rosay, test pilot, regards the A-380 first flight, 28 April 2005.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Seems as though you guys will throw a party for just about any inconciquential event! Hats Off!!!

With a short dash down the runway, the machine lifted into the air and was flying. It was only a flight of twelve seconds, and it was uncertain, wavy, creeping sort of flight at best; but it was a real flight at last and not a glide.

— Orville Wright, first flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft.


Those who understand the real significance of the conditions under which we worked will be surprised rather at the length than the shortness of the flights made with an unfamiliar machine after less than one minute's practice. The machine possesses greater capacity of being controlled than any of our former machines.

— Wilbur Wright

It was absolutely perfect. You can handle this large aircraft as you can handle a bicycle."

— Jacques Rosay, test pilot, regards the A-380 first flight, 28 April 2005.

It was a very significant event. It was the event that sparked the whole aviation revolution to build better and better aircraft. For those of us who really do enjoy and love aviation whether they fly or not, this is the event that started it.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

although it wasn't seen that way at the time, the first flight of any note back then was the first flight across the channel.........

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

At that time almost every flight was an achievment.

 

[JonJGoldberg]

...DerAdlerIstGelandet the first line of my last post contains sarcasm. Sorry you misunderstood. Obvisouly the event was the start of 'it' all...

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

At that time almost every flight was an achievment.

we know that now but what i meant was people at the time didn't really take a great deal of notice, not really until the first flight across the channel..........

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Ill agree somewhat with you there. In the United States it was not really until the Barn Storming days that it really got exciting. There were people in the intereior of the country that never really had seen a plane until then.