The first powered flight. Mural by famed aviation and space artist Bob McCall
August 19 was declared by President Franklin Roosevelt ‘The National Aviation Day.’ The day coincides with the birthday of Orville Wright.
On Dec. 17, 1903, the Wright brothers made history with their Kitty Hawk Flyer with the first powered flight.
Orville Wright wasn’t entirely sure how long his first flight lasted.
He and his brother, Wilbur, estimated it was around 12 seconds. However, according to Orville’s diary entry from that December in 1903 at Kill Devil Hills, N.C., the exact time wasn’t known because they didn’t immediately stop the watch.
Although this may seem like a small detail, it doesn’t overshadow the significance of what happened on those sandy dunes—the first controlled flight of a powered, heavier-than-air machine.
We know that Orville piloted the Wright Flyer, which took off at 10:35 a.m. EST and flew 120 feet, about 10 feet above the ground, at a top speed of around 6.8 mph.
Three more flights followed that day, with Wilbur and Orville alternating as pilots. Wilbur’s final flight lasted 59 seconds and covered 852 feet, but it ended with a crash that damaged the plane, preventing further attempts.
Orville made the historic first flight, and in recognition, President Franklin Roosevelt declared August 19—Orville’s birthday—National Aviation Day in 1939, celebrating the significance of aviation.
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