December 17, 2014

The Wright Stuff


December 17, 1903: Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
First human powered heavier than air sustained flight in what is now referred to as the first airplane.


On this day in 1903 at Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, two bicycle mechanics from Dayton, Ohio with no college education became the first to achieve human-powered, heavier than  air sustained flight in what we now call the airplane.  Orville and Wilbur Wright's quest wasn't an Icarus Agenda with necessity as mother. Their motives were rooted in ambition and doing something that had never been done. Orville later had a near fatal fall when flying quite high but it wasn't from hubris....they both knew that to achieve great heights you can't be afraid of falling.  The Wright Brothers were just two men of humble origin with keen intellect, fierce tenacity, and undaunted courage who dared to be great.


Orville Wright 1905
Wilbur Wright (1905)
All pics from Wikipedia



22 comments:

  1. We jet setters have so much to thank this incredible pair of geniuses for. Their contribution to air travel has changed the planet and even our diet and medical care, which can reach us with a speed that was only a mere pipe dream before these two arrived on the scene. Thank you for the reminder, wonderful post.

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  2. They really are the very best example of The American Dream. Their heirs will also never set foot in a college classroom instead undertake, self directed course of study via Khan Academy, and outperform the MIT, Princeton, Harvard, crowd.

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  3. I had not heard of the location of the first flight - interesting name! THey were indeed true pioneers, and quite the moustache grower in Orville!

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    1. I've been there Heidi to pay my respects on July 7, 1992 and remember it well as a few hours later I smoked dope for the only time in my life (age 27) at a rented beach house with college buddies and WAGs....let's just say I was cruising at greater altitude than Orville...

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  4. Did you discover a connection to the wonderful Ruth Law?

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    1. Curator, in my initial inquiries, I haven't and let my ancestry.com membership lapse so will renew late Winter to find our kinship. I can feel her moxie coursing through my veins.

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  5. You know that's the subject of David mccullough's next book? I am dying to visit the Carolinas and this would be a big stop - Barry is obsessed with all things aviation and is slowly pursuing his pilots license as funds allow. Thanks for the great reminder!

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    1. Wendy, I can't wait to see how McCulloch handles the Wright Bros. They are of greater interest (and impact) than most of the Founding Fathers.

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  6. ...and to think that only 66 years later we landed on the moon!

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    1. That is astonishing but now we marvel at Twitter and Netflix.

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  7. I always respect the self-taught. Everything useful in my life has been learned outside the classroom.

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    1. Jen, I dipped my toe back in academia a few years ago and was flabbergasted at what I saw. My buddy was a near retirement age Internationally recognized Dr Johnson scholar from Harvard who told me he could never endure as a student what his English Dept has become. I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

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  8. Always amazes what we can do when we let go of fear and embrace the impossible.

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  9. Gosh they were steely eyed chaps weren't they? as brave as anything, BB is right

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    1. They are easily amongst my top five American heroes Jody.

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  10. To achieve great heights one can't be afraid of falling or failing! I agree with Jenn about the wisdom learned outside of the classroom. The school of hard knocks has been very instructional in my life.

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    1. Me too Jennifer and we've just to keep plodding along as that adversity does indeed make us stronger.

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  11. Merry Christmas, and All The Best in 2015, GSL!

    Holiday Cheers,
    Donna

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    1. Thank you Donna! My very best warm wishes for a splendid 2015 to you as well.

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    1. Thank you Jody! Your indomitable spirit and adventure are a real inspiration here at The Den...the kids sometimes call this a 'girl crush'...since we're sophisticated men of the world we loftily refer to it as 'raison d'etre'.

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