The First Motorised Flight by the Wright Brothers

On this day the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, successfully carried out what is widely recognised as the first sustained motorised aircraft flight at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina. At 10:35 in the morning, piloted by Orville Wright, their prototype aeroplane the ‘Wright Flyer’ stayed in the air for about 12 seconds, travelling at a speed of 6.8 miles per hour (10.9 km/h) and an altitude of 120 feet (37 m). Thanks to the Wright brothers’ innovative three-axis control system, the pilot had total control of the aircraft during flight. This method has remained the standard on all subsequent aeroplanes.

Author: Tony

Born and raised in Malaysia between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Educated at Wycliffe College in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, England. Living in the foothills of Mount Etna since 1982 and teaching English at Catania University since 1987. View all posts by Tony