Orville Wright in flight on the 1902 glider, 1903

Terry Queijo in flight on the 1902 glider, 2003

Preparing for Powered Flight

The fall of 1903 saw the Wright brothers in Kitty Hawk preparing for their first trials of the Flyer. While they were assembling the machine, they practiced flying in the 1902 glider, which they had left in camp from the year before. They made hundreds of glides, and literally wore the glider out. The fabric became loose, the wooden members dry and brittle. The constant practice was excellent preparation for the demands of the unstable Flyer.

The Wrights only made five attempts at flight in the Flyer. They did not consider the first, on December 14, 1903, to be successful. Wilbur brought the machine up too steeply, stalled, and settled back to the ground. All the remaining attempts were made on December 17, 1903, and all were successful. Despite the Flyer's inherent instability, and the dangerously high winds of the day, the brothers' skill had been so well developed that each was able to pilot the machine. Wilbur's stunning 852 foot, 59 second last flight proved beyond a doubt that the Flyer could fly.