The Wright Brothers Make Their First Powered Flights
Orville and Wilbur Wright made four powered flights near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903.
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The Event
Orville and Wilbur Wright made four powered flights near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903. Orville piloted the first flight.
The Wider Story
The achievement combined a controllable aircraft, an engine and years of glider testing. Both brothers contributed to the experimental program.
Putting the Event in Perspective
The flights were short and used a launching rail.
Reading the Historical Record
Do not substitute a later wheeled airplane or describe the morning as the beginning of all human flight.
About the Historical Recreation
The accompanying visual is an illustrative reconstruction: the 1903 Wright Flyer making a short low flight above sandy ground, distant figures. It is not authentic archival footage, an eyewitness record or additional evidence for the event.
Sources
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