121 Years Ago Today, a New Age of Aviation Began at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

On this day in 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright took a giant leap, marking the beginning of a revolution in transportation. After years of perfecting gliders, the brothers were ready to make their mark with powered flight.

On the morning of December 17th, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville took his place lying prone on the Wright Flyer. With a photographer standing by, the biplane was launched from a set of rails, rolling briefly before lifting off the ground. The flight lasted twelve seconds, covering 120 feet, and marked the first powered, sustained flight by a heavier-than-air machine.

Just six years later, Frenchman Louis Bleriot made history by becoming the first person to fly across the English Channel.

In 1909, Bristilian businessman Sir George White witnessed the Wright Brothers’ aircraft in action in France. Recognising the potential of aviation, he set up his own aircraft factory in Filton in 1910, and over the next century, the site would become a hub for continuous aerospace production.

The Wright Flyer airborne during the first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, United States of America, 17 December 1903. Orville Wright is the pilot while Wilbur Wright runs alongside.