Aeronautics, 1898-1909: The French-American connection

Abstract

In August 1908, Wilbur Wright gave the first public demonstration of the Wright airplane, at Le Mans, France. Two weeks later Orville was the first to fly publicly a powered man-carrying aircraft in the United States, at Fort Myer, Virginia. Those astonishing flights were the beginnings of the Wrights' programs to fulfill the requirements of contracts the Brothers had made with the French and U.S. governments. At the time nobody else had a practical aircraft fully controllable and capable of being maneuvered at the pilot's command.