"THE DISTANCE COVERED WAS LESS THAN THE WINGSPAN OF A 747 JUMBO JET"

WRIGHT BROS ARE FIRST IN FLIGHT

Kitty Hawk, NC (JFK+50) On December 17, 1903, Orville Wright** made the first successful flight of a self-propelled, heavier-than-air aircraft here at Kitty Hawk*.

The aircraft, which began its flight at 10:35 a.m., was launched down a single track and after lifting off the ground traveled at a speed of 6.8 miles per hour. The first flight covered 120 feet and lasted 12 seconds.  Five eye witnesses were on hand to observe the historic event.

The plane's 12 horsepower internal combustion engine was manufactured at the Wright Brothers Bicycle Shop in Dayton, Ohio and transported along with pieces of the aircraft to Kitty Hawk in the fall of 1903.

According to Eyewitness to History..."The distance covered...was less than the wingspan of a modern 747 Jumbo Jet."

At 11:20 a.m., a 2nd flight was made at 10 feet above the ground and a distance of 175 feet.  The 3rd and final flight of the day came at 11:40 a.m. Wilbur Wright*** flew 812 feet in 59 seconds.  The original Wright Flyer is on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

*Kitty Hawk is part of the Outer Banks of NC.  The flights of the Wright Brothers took place 4 miles South at Kill Devil Hills.  The site was selected because of frequent winds & soft sands.  The town was incorporated in 1981.

**Orville Wright (1871-1948) & ***Wilbur Wright (1867-1912).  Orville was born in Dayton, Ohio and Wilbur was born near Millville, Indiana.  The brothers opened a bicycle repair shop in 1892 and later began building their own bikes.  They went to Kitty Hawk in 1900 to experiment in manned gliding and there on Dec. 14, 1903, Wilbur's attempt to fly a motorized, propeller-driven aircraft failed.  3 days later, the brothers succeeded.

SOURCES

"This Day in History:  December 17," www.history.com

www.eyewitnesstohistory/

www.wrightbrothers.info/

The Wright Flyer

Air & Space Museum

Photo by RadioFan (2008)

FIRST FLIGHT AT KITTY HAWK

JFK+50:  Volume 6, No. 1800

ORVILLE WRIGHT PILOTS FIRST SUCCESSFUL FLIGHT

Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (JFK+50) On the morning of December 17, 1903, 112 years ago today, Orville Wright* made the first successful flight of a self-propelled, heavier-than-air aircraft here at Kitty Hawk.

The aircraft, which began its flight at 10:35 a.m., was launched down a single track and after lifting off the ground traveled at a speed of 6.8 miles per hour. The first flight covered 120 feet and lasted 12 seconds.  Five eye witnesses were on hand to observe the historic event.

The 12 horsepower internal combustion engine had been manufactured at the Wright Brothers Bicycle Shop in Dayton, Ohio and transported along with pieces of the aircraft to Kitty Hawk in the fall of 1903.

According to Eyewitness to History..."The distance covered...was less than the wingspan of a modern 747 Jumbo Jet."

At 11:20 a.m., a 2nd flight was made at 10 feet above the ground and a distance of 175 feet.  The 3rd and final flight of the day came at 11:40 a.m. Wilbur Wright** flew 812 feet in 59 seconds.

The original Wright Flyer is on permanent display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

*Orville Wright (1871-1948) and **Wilbur Wright (1867-1912).  Orville was born in Dayton, Ohio and Wilbur was born near Millville, Indiana.  The brothers opened a bicycle repair shop in 1892 and later began building their own bikes.

They went to Kitty Hawk in 1900 to experiment in manned gliding and there on Dec. 14, 1903, Wilbur's attempt to fly a motorized, propeller-driven aircraft failed.  3 days later, the brothers succeeded.

"We were lucky enough to grow up in an environment where there was always much encouragement to...pursue intellectual interests;  to investigate what ever aroused curiosity."     

Orville Wright

SOURCES

"This Day in History:  December 17," www.history.com

www.eyewitnesstohistory/

www.wrightbrothers.info/

The Wright Flyer

Air & Space Museum

Photo by RadioFan (2008)

HISTORIC FIRST FLIGHT 110 YEARS AGO

WRIGHT BROTHERS MADE HISTORIC FLIGHT 110 YEARS AGO

"We were lucky enough to grow up in an environment where there was always much encouragement to...pursue intellectual interests;  to investigate what ever aroused curiosity."         
                                                       
                                      Orville Wright

Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (JFK+50) 110 years ago this morning, December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright* made the first airplane flight here in Kitty Hawk.

Their aircraft, which began its flight at 10:35 a.m.,  was gas-powered and propeller-driven.  The first manned flight, traveling at a speed of 6.8 m.p.h., lasted 12 seconds and flew a distance of 120 feet. 

The engine was rated at 25 horsepower.

According to Eyewitness to History...

"The distance covered...was less than the wingspan of a modern 747 Jumbo Jet."

At 11:20 a.m., a 2nd flight was made at 10 feet above the ground and a distance of 175 feet.

The 3rd and final flight of the day came at 11:40 a.m.

The Wright Flyer

Air & Space Museum

Photo by RadioFan (2008)

*Orville Wright (1871-1948) and Wilbur Wright (1867-1912).  Orville was born in Dayton, Ohio and Wilbur was born near Millville, Indiana.  The brothers opened a bicycle repair shop in 1892 and later began building their own bikes.

They went to Kitty Hawk in 1900 to experiment in manned gliding and there on Dec. 14, 1903, Wilbur's attempt to fly a motorized, propeller-driven aircraft failed.

Three days later, the brothers succeeded in making the 1st manned flight and followed it with two more on the same day.

Wright Brothers

Long Island, NY

October 1910

by Cole and Company

Library of Congress Image

SOURCES

www.eyewitnesstohistory/

www.wrightbrothers.info/

"Marley was dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it. And Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail."

On December 17, 1843, 170 years ago today, "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens was published in London.  Dickens began writing his epic work in October and completed it by early December 1843. 

6000 copies had "sold out" by Christmas Eve at 5 shillings a copy.

On December 17, 1961, President John F. Kennedy laid a wreath on the tomb of Simon Bolivar in Caracas, Venezuela.  

Later in the day, he and Mrs. Kennedy visited Bogata, Colombia where they greeted Peace Corps workers.