"Jayhawk Jake" (jayhawkjake)
12/17/2013 at 10:35 • Filed to: FIRST FLIGHT TUESDAY, PLANELOPNIK
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"Jayhawk Jake" (jayhawkjake)
12/17/2013 at 10:35 • Filed to: FIRST FLIGHT TUESDAY, PLANELOPNIK | 11
| 5 |
This exact moment 110 years ago Orville Wright lifted off the ground in an airplane powered by its own motor. He flew 120 feet in 12 seconds, which today seems like such an unimpressive feat. While the flight itself may not have been spectacular, the industry born from it is nothing short of incredible.
In only 110 years we've gone from one man hopping into the air on a flimsy wood and cloth biplane to flying around the world in half a million pound metal machines. While many people still debate who should get credit for the first flight, I will always consider December 17th, 1903 to be the date that marks the true beginning of the aviation industry, an industry I am extremely proud to be a part of today.
In celebration, I declare this First Flight Tuesday, and I encourage you all to post pictures of airplanes. I'm going to attempt to schedule a series of posts highlighting significant first flights, so stay tuned.
Here's to the next 110 years of flight!
Slave2anMG
> Jayhawk Jake
12/17/2013 at 10:38 |
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Cue enraged Connecticut and Ohio folks in 3...2...1...
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Jayhawk Jake
> Slave2anMG
12/17/2013 at 10:41 |
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There's much more evidence in favor of the Wrights. The Santos-Dumont crowd will also go nuts, but it doesn't really matter. I will always consider the Wrights to be the first, and they did contribute more than just that first flight so first or not, it's still a good day to recognize.
EL_ULY
> Jayhawk Jake
12/17/2013 at 10:42 |
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Aaron James
> Jayhawk Jake
12/18/2013 at 21:01 |
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Can you even imagine the excitement and intrigue they felt after those 120 feet, What an amazing accomplishment, just one of many for the Wright brothers.
ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
> Slave2anMG
12/18/2013 at 23:06 |
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Ohio checking in here.
Not angry at all. They went to Kittyhawk because, at the time, there was quite literally nothing there but wind and sand. Not someplace you'd actually want to visit. And given they almost to death during one of their trips, it's also not someplace they actually liked going.
After 1903, they packed up and stayed in Ohio to continue their experiments, culminating in the October 1905 flight of the Flyer 3 at Huffman Prairie, which lasted over 40 minutes. That's when they knew they'd gotten it.
So, yeah, NC can claim First In Flight, but if they'd bother to actually learn anything about the Wrights, they'd realize that everything that went into them succeeding at Kittyhawk, all the important details and planning took place in Dayton.
[drops mic]