1903: Orville Wright made the first sustained, controlled power airplane flight at Kill Devil Hills, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. During the first successful flight of the Wright Flyer, the machine traveled 120 feet in 12 seconds. Orville Wright was at the controls of the machine, lying prone on the lower wing with his hips in the cradle which operated the wing-warping mechanism. Wilbur Wright ran alongside to balance the machine and had just released his hold on the forward upright of the right wing in this iconic photo. The starting rail, the wing-rest, a coil box, and other items needed for flight preparation are visible behind the machine. This was the “the first sustained and controlled heavier-than-air, powered flight” in history. (Editor’s Note: This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published/registered with the U.S. Copyright Office before January 1, 1930.)
