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Wilbur Wright piloting the
Wright 1907 Model Flyer at Camp d'Auvours, an artillery field near Le Mans in
France. Wilbur flew at Camp d'Auvours between August 16 and December 31, 1908. c/o Wright State
University. (Image source:
corescholar.libraries.wright.edu)
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As how many people know that the sleepy 'lil town
of Le Mans featured Aeroplanes before some car race got started Thar' fifteen
years later, eh?
Author's Note
As typical, this story has been languishing in
Nofendersville since last winter, when I first listened to an excellent CD
Audiobook upon the subject, and thus, if I can type fast enough, and mize
knucels' don't get in the way, since after all, I'm a Bloody Vurd' Butcherer;Oh
Never Mind! Then what better day to post this on, eh?
Arguably, only the most rabid, Hardcore
Aviation enthusiasts devoted to the beginnings of manned flight, especially
revolving around a pair of brothers from somewhere called Dayton, Ohio, will
know what occurred on this exact day over a century ago.
Certainly, anyone interested with the origins
of manned flight will know that on a frigid day at Kitty hawk, North Carolina
on December 17, 1903 that the brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first
ever successful control powered flight aboard their Wright Flyer No. 1.
Yet since only five people witnessed that
historic day on the desolate sand bluffs of Kill Devil Hills, whose motto is:
"Birthplace of Aviation." most people didn't know about their
achievement, while the Newspaper stories were totally far-fetched, leading to
much speculation. As the brothers toiled in anonymity for another two year's
refining their amazing machine
Although Kitty Hawk is often mentioned
regarding this historic achievement, since it was the nearest established town
then, some four miles away, as Kill Devil Hills wouldn't receive it's town
charter until 1953, whilst the Wright Brothers National Memorial was dedicated
Thar in 1932, nearly three decades after that historic day.
This North Carolina location was chosen by
the brothers for its constant winds and soft landings the immeasurable sands
offered.
Finally, the hour had come after years of
ridicule, much by the French to begin preparations for public demonstration
flights during the summer of 1908.
But first the Wright Brothers wanted to test
their latest Wright Flyer version, now sporting two conventional upright seats
side-by-side.
Arriving in late April, Wilbur found the
remains of their previous camp on Kill Devil Hills in horrid squalor, from both
man and Mother Nature, with the previous camp being almost invisible!
As he rebuilt camp, he constantly found
reminders of the brothers previous visits, especially bits 'N pieces from their
previous Flyers 1-2-3.
On May 7, 1908 Orville made his first
practice flight, a scant distance of 1,000 feet, as the brothers hadn't flown
in nearly two and one-half years, having been busy obtaining patents, potential
production contracts and a solicitor to
represent their machinery in Europe, while the U.S. Government was still loathe
to respond to their initial inquiries.
On May 14th, the assembled newspaper
reporters witnessed the first flight of two men flying at once, albeit one of
the passengers was the Wright's mechanic Charlie Furness, contrary to popular
belief as the brothers had vowed to never fly together to prevent the risk of
both dying simultaneously.
After a week of practicing in the far away,
remote and desolate sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, Wilbur accidently mistook the machine's control
levers and crashed, wrecking the latest Aeroplane and curtailing practice, with
Wilbur departing for France immediately.
