Caption: "The first powered, controlled, sustained airplane flight in history, 1903 Dec17. Orville Wright (1871--1948), age 32, is at the controls of the Wright Flyer, lying prone on the lower wing with hips in the cradle which operated the wing-warping mechanism. His brother, Wilbur Wright (1867--1912), age 36, ran alongside to help balance the Wright Flyer, having just released his hold on the forward upright of the right wing. The starting rail, the wing-rest, a coil box, and other items needed for flight preparation are visible behind the Wright Flyer. (Orville Wright preset the camera and had John T. Daniels (1873--1948) squeeze the rubber bulb, tripping the shutter.)" (Somewhat edited.)

The flight was at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina which is actually 6 km south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Wright brothers were NOT daredevils: they never flew high, until they knew how to fly. They are were also both quite athletic which they had to be given all the physical effort involved in manhandling their flying machines on the ground and in the air.

Credit/Permission: John T. Daniels (1873--1948), 1903 Dec17 (uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by User:Wright_Stuf, 2018) / Public domain.
Image link: Wikimedia Commons: File:Wright First Flight 1903Dec17 (full restore 115).jpg.
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