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From WinkyPedia, the free encyclopedia that tells you what you already knew
The Wright brothers’ first flight took place on 17 December 1903 near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, when Orville Wright flew the brothers’ engine-powered Wright Flyer for 12 seconds, covering 120 feet (37 m).[1] It is widely regarded as the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered aeroplane. Twelve seconds later it also became the first aeroplane landing, an achievement that is celebrated far less often.
17 December 1903 was a Thursday, a day not previously known for anything at all.
Orville and Wilbur Wright ran a bicycle business in Dayton, Ohio. From 1900 they tested gliders on the sandy dunes near Kitty Hawk, which they chose for its steady winds and soft sand, the two things most wanted by anyone expecting to come down sooner than planned.
The brothers decided who would make the first attempt by tossing a coin, the aeroplane not yet being available as a decision-making tool. Wilbur won the toss and made an attempt on 14 December, but the Flyer stalled just after leaving the ground and needed repairs, so on the 17th it was Orville’s turn.
The brothers made four flights that morning, taking turns. The fourth, flown by Wilbur, was the longest: 852 feet (260 m) in 59 seconds. Shortly afterwards a gust of wind tipped the Flyer over and damaged it, and it never flew again, giving it a flying career of one morning.[2]
The brothers sent a telegram home reporting their success. It gave the longest flight as 57 seconds, two seconds short, making it an early example of an aeroplane being underestimated. The original 1903 Flyer is now displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.[3]