Famous Flyers and Their Famous Flights

“You notice that I always talk of ‘theWrights’ as though they were one person; everybody does. In fact, they almost wereone person. They were always together; lived together, played together, although theydidn’t play much, being a serious pair, andworked together. They never quarreled, nevershowed any jealousy of each other, neverclaimed the lion’s share of praise in the invention.They were just ‘the Wrights,’ quiet, retiring men, who did much and talked little.

“From early childhood it was the same.Wilbur Wright, the elder of the two, wasborn in Milville, Indiana, and lived thereuntil he was three years old with his parents,Milton Wright, bishop of the United BrethrenChurch, and Susan Katherine Wright. In1870 the family moved to Dayton, Ohio, and in 1871 Orville Wright was born. Froma very early age the two were drawn to eachother. Their minds and desires were similar.

“When Wilbur decided that he wouldrather go to work after being graduatedfrom High School, Orville decided that he, too, would give up his formal education, and devote himself to mechanics.

“They were born mechanics, always buildingminiature machines that actually worked.They did not stop studying, but took toreading scientific works that were of morehelp to them than formal education. In thisway they learned printing, and built themselvesa printing press out of odds and endsthat they assembled. On this they beganto publish a little newspaper, but they gavethis up when another opportunity presenteditself.

“Bicycles were coming in at that time, and the Wright brothers set up a little shopto repair them. From the repair shop theydeveloped a factory in which they manufacturedbicycles themselves. Their businesswas very successful, and they were lookedupon as young men who were likely to getalong in the world. This was in 1896.

“That year Otto Lilienthal, a famous Germanexperimenter, was killed in his glider, just at the peak of his career. Wilbur readan account of his death in the newspaper, and discussed it with his brother. The eventrenewed the interest that they had alwayshad in flying, and they set about studyingall of the books that they could find on theproblem of flight. They soon exhausted allthat they could get, and decided that theirgroundwork had been laid. From then ontheir work was practical, and they discoveredprinciples that had never been written, and which resulted in the first flight.

“The first things that they built were kites, and then gliders that were flown as kites.The Wrights were after the secret of thebirds’ flight, and felt that they could applyit to man’s flight. Their next step was theconstruction of a real glider. But the countryaround Dayton was not favorable forflying their craft. They wrote to the UnitedStates government to find a region that hadconditions favorable to their gliding. Thatis how the obscure Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, came to be the famous place that it is.It happened to have just south of it threehills, Kill Devil Hill, Little Hill, and WestHill. Between the hills was soft drifting sand, that would provide a better landing placethan hard earth in case of a spill. The windswere steady and moderate.

“To Kitty Hawk the Wrights went. Herethey glided to their heart’s content, untilthey decided that they had learned to controltheir flights, and were ready to build aplane with power. They went back to Daytonin 1902. They designed and supervisedthe building of the motor themselves, onethat would generate twelve horsepower. Satisfied, they set out once more for KittyHawk, with the motor and parts of theirplane carefully stowed away.

“They got down there in the early autumn, but found so many difficulties toovercome, that they could not make thefirst tests until December. In the first place, they discovered that a storm had blown awaythe building which they had built to workin when they first got to Kitty Hawk. However, everything was at last ready, the weatherfavorable, and the plane was hauled upKill Devil Hill, and guided toward the singletrack of planks that had been laid downthe hill.

“Who was going to get the first chanceto pilot the plane? Who was going to bethe first man to fly? Orville insisted thatWilbur be the one; Wilbur insisted thatOrville should be the first. They decided itby flipping a coin. Wilbur won. He gotinto the plane, unfastened the wire that heldthe plane to the track, and started down. Heended in a heap at the bottom of the hill, uninjured, but with several parts of the planedamaged.

“The Wrights were nothing daunted.They repaired the plane as quickly as possible, and on December 17, they were readyfor the second trial. It was Orville’s turn,of course. He unloosened the wire; the planestarted down the hill; at the end of a forty-footrun it rose into the air. It kept ongoing, in a bumpy, irregular course, nowswooping up, now diving down, for 120feet, then darted to earth. The flight hadtaken in all just twelve seconds, but theWrights had flown.

“I suppose you’ve seen pictures of thatfirst plane. It wasn’t much more than a boxin shape, a biplane, with no cockpit at all, just the wings held together by struts, anda seat in the center for the pilot. A man hadto be tough to fly one of those planes. Thewonder is that any of them escaped withtheir lives. They had to sit up there exposedto all the elements, and pilot the clumsyplanes. And yet they grew into skilfuland expert pilots, and could loop the loopand figure eight in them! The Wrightsthemselves were excellent flyers. This seemsonly natural, with their natural born giftfor mechanics. It was well that they weregood flyers, because it was up to them toprove to the world that their craft was safe, and practical.

“It was hard at first. People were skepticalas to whether the Wrights really had aship that flew. Some of their tests were unsuccessful, and they were laughed to scorn.However, France, who had been more advancedthan the United States in the matterof experimentation in flying, became interestedin the new flying machine, and sentrepresentatives over to the United States toinspect it. With the French approving ofit, the United States became more interested.The government offered a prize of $25,000, for anyone who would build a plane thatwould travel 40 miles an hour, carry enoughfuel and oil to cruise for 125 miles, andfly continuously for at least an hour, withtwo persons weighing together 350 pounds.The Wrights built such a machine, and thegovernment not only gave them the $25,000, but an additional $5,000 besides.

“In the meanwhile Wilbur Wright hadgone to France, where he participated inmany flights, and won the hearts of theFrench people by staying in the air for anhour and a half. At the end of the year,1908, he stayed in the air over two hours.

“The Wrights were showing what theycould do. Flying became the rage. Societytook it up, and traveled to the Wrights tosee their planes. But the Wrights, no moreimpressed by this than they were by anythingelse, kept right on working. Theywere financed by a group of able financiersin the United States, and founded the WrightAeroplane Company for the manufacture ofplanes, and they were content.

“After 1909, their point proved, theWrights did very little flying. They spenttheir time in engineering problems, makingimprovements on the planes that they weredesigning and manufacturing.

“They did some more experimenting withgliders, but this was in order to perfect theart of soaring.

“In May, 1912, Wilbur Wright died, andbroke up the famous partnership that hadexisted for so many years. Since his deathhis brother has lived quietly. He has notflown, and has acted as advisor to his companyas they turn out more and more modernplanes. He is one man who has lived to seea thing that he started himself grow intoa blessing to mankind. And if the airplaneisn’t that, I’d like to know what is.”

“I think so,” said Bob.

“Who are you to think so?” asked Bill, sitting up very suddenly.

Bob was non-plussed for a moment, butthen saw that his uncle was joking, andlaughed. They were interrupted by the ringingof the doorbell.

“Well,” said the Captain, “who could beout in weather like this?”

They heard the front door open, voices, and then the closing of the door. In a shortwhile the footsteps of Mrs. Martin soundedon the steps, and she entered the library.

“A telegram for you, Bill,” she said, andhanded it to him. “My, you three look cozyup here. I suppose you’ve been yarning, haven’t you?” She gave her brother a playfulpoke.

Captain Bill, who had risen when his sistercame in, offered his chair before he openedthe telegram. “Join us, won’t you, Sis?”

His sister laughed. “I really can’t go beforeI see what is in the telegram,” she said.“Of course, I suppose I should be polite andpretend not to be interested in it, but I am.We all are, aren’t we, boys?”

Bob and Hal grinned.

“Well, then,” said Bill, “I guess I’ll haveto see what’s in it.” He opened the telegram, and glanced hurriedly over it. “Pat’slanding tomorrow,” he said. “He wants usto be out at the airport to see the Mariannecome in.”

“Hurray!” shouted Bob, and went into awar dance.

His mother looked at him tolerantly. Shewas used to Bob’s antics. “What time isPat coming in?” she asked.

“He didn’t say. In fact, that’s all he didn’tsay in this telegram. But I guess he’llstart out about dawn and get here aroundnoon. Anyway, we’ll be going down to theairport tomorrow morning to look around.We’ll stay there until that Irishman rollsin.”

“What will you do about lunch?” askedthe practical Mrs. Martin.

“Why, we’ll eat at the airport restaurant,”said Bill. “Don’t worry about us, Sis.”

Mrs. Martin looked dubious. She glancedat Hal. She knew that Hal’s mother likedto supervise her son’s meals, and did notcare to have him eat at strange places. Mrs.Martin felt that it would be a shame to spoilthe expedition for such a trivial reason, soshe said, “I have an idea. I’ll pack a lunchfor all of you tonight, and you can take itwith you tomorrow. How will that be?You can eat it anyplace around the airport.It’ll be a regular picnic. There are some niceplaces around the port that you can go to.How about that?”

Bob answered for them. “That will begreat. Gee, Bill, do you remember the picnicbaskets that Mom can pack? We’re inluck.”

“Do I remember?” said Bill. “How couldI forget? You fellows had better be up prettyearly tomorrow.”

“You bet we will, Captain,” said Bob.

Then Hal said, “I guess I’d better be going.My mother will be wondering if I’mnever coming home. I hope that I can comewith you tomorrow.”

“Hope you can come with us? Why, ofcourse you’re coming with us. We won’t gowithout you,” Captain Bill said explosively.

“I’ll see,” said Hal. “I’ll ask Mother.Maybe she’ll let me go. But anyway, I’lllet you know. I’ll put up the flags in theworkshop window. All right?”

“Sure,” said Bob, and walked out withHal. He saw the boy to the door, andwarned him again to be sure to come.

When the two boys had left the room,Captain Bill turned to his sister. “Say,” hesaid, “do you think that Hal’s mother reallywon’t let him come, or is the boy lookingfor a way out?”

“Why, what do you mean?” asked Mrs.Martin.

“Just this,” said Bill, and puffed vigorouslyon his pipe. “I’ve been watching theboy, and I think that he’s afraid.”

“Afraid of what?”

“Afraid of actually going up in an airplane.I feel that a change has come overhim since there has been an actual chanceof his learning to fly,” explained the Captain.

His sister looked pensive. “But he’s alwaysbeen so interested in flying. That’sall the two of them ever talk about.”

“Perhaps. When there was no immediatechance of his going up in a plane. Now thatthere is, I think he’d like to back out.”

“There is his mother to consider, ofcourse,” said Mrs. Martin. “She would undoubtedlyobject very strenuously if hemerely went to the airport. You must rememberthat he’s all she has. She’s alwaysso careful of him.”

The Captain snorted. “Too careful,” hesaid. “She’s made the boy a bundle of fears.Bob has helped him get over some of them, but I think that they’re cropping out now.It will be very bad for Hal if he funks this.I think that it will hurt him a great deal.If he succeeds in overcoming his fears nowfor once and for all, if he learns to go upin a plane, even if he may never fly onehimself, he will be a new boy. He’ll neverbe afraid again. But one let-down now, andhe will be set way back – even further backthan when Bob first met him.”

“I think you’re right, Bill,” said hissister. “But what are we going to do aboutit?”

The Captain shrugged his shoulders. “Ithink the best thing to do with the boy isnot to let him know that we know he’safraid. Treat him just as if he were thebravest lad in the world. I’ll take careof that. But I can’t take care of his mother.I never was a lady’s man,” smiled CaptainBill. “You’ll have to attend to that.”

Mrs. Martin’s brow wrinkled. “I thinkyou’ve taken the easier task,” she said witha wry smile. “I’d much rather teach a boyto overcome his fears than teach a motherto overcome hers. But I’ll try,” she added, and hoped against hope for success.

Bob burst into the room. “How aboutsomething to eat?” he said. “I’m starved!”

“As usual,” said his mother. “I wouldlike to hear you just once complain aboutbeing not hungry.”

“All right, mother,” said Bob. “If youwant to hear me complain about that, youjust feed me a good dinner now, and I’ll domy best to complain about being not hungry – afterI finish it.”

“You’re an impossible son,” said his mother, but smiled fondly at him. She reallydidn’t believe it.