First to Fly

The Wright brothers grew up in Ohio. Wilbur was born in 1867, and Orville was born just a few years later, in 1871.

When the brothers were young, their father brought home a small toy called a helicopter. (Real helicopters hadn’t been invented yet.) Made from wood and a rubber band, this toy could hover in the air. The boys loved it and became fascinated by flight.

The brothers also loved building things. They designed a machine that could print words on paper. They used it to publish newspapers they wrote. They later learned to build bicycles and opened their own bicycle shop.

The brothers were clever, and they worked well together. Wilbur was a great reader and writer. Orville was creative and quick thinking. Together they could build almost anything! And there was one invention they really wanted to make: an airplane.

The Wright brothers grew up in Ohio. Wilbur was born in 1867. Orville was born just a few years later, in 1871.

When the brothers were young, their father brought home a toy. It was called a helicopter. (Real helicopters weren’t invented yet.) It was made from wood and a rubber band. It flew in the air.

The boys loved it and became fascinated by flight.

The brothers also loved building things. They designed a machine that could print words on paper. They used it to publish newspapers they wrote. They later learned to build bicycles and opened their own bicycle shop.

The brothers were smart. They also worked well together. Wilbur was a great reader and writer. Orville was creative and quick thinking. Together they could build almost anything! And there was one invention they really wanted to make. They wanted to make an airplane.

The Wright brothers weren’t the only people with this goal. Humans have always wanted to soar through the air like birds. For most of history, they couldn’t. But by the late 1800s, people were getting close to flying with the invention of gliders.

Gliders were like giant wings made from wood and cloth. People would lie down in the gliders and strap themselves in. Then they would use the power of the wind to glide through the air for a little while.

But gliders needed the right kind of wind to fly. They mostly moved whichever way the wind moved. So if the wind changed unexpectedly, the person could crash!

The Wright brothers wanted to design a new type of flying machine—one that could fly in any weather. A flying machine like that would need an engine to push it through the air and move it in any direction.

But engines were heavy. The added weight of the engine would make it almost impossible to get a glider off the ground or steer. And gliders were hard enough to steer already.

The Wright brothers knew about these problems—and they were determined to solve them.

The Wright brothers weren’t the only people with this goal. Humans have always wanted to fly through the air like birds. They couldn’t for most of history. But this began to change in the late 1800s. People were getting close to flying with the invention of gliders.

Gliders were like giant wings made from wood and cloth. People would lie down in the gliders and strap themselves in. Then they would use the power of the wind to fly through the air for a little while.

But gliders needed the right kind of wind to fly. They mostly moved whichever way the wind moved. So if the wind changed unexpectedly, the person could crash!

The Wright brothers wanted to design a new type of flying machine. They wanted one that could fly in any weather. A flying machine like that would need an engine. The engine would push it through the air and move it in any direction.

But engines were heavy. A heavy engine would make it hard to get a glider off the ground or steer. Gliders were hard enough to steer already.

The Wright brothers knew about these problems. But they were determined to solve them.

Back on the frigid beach on December 17, 1903, the brothers started the engine of the brand-new Wright Flyer. Orville strapped himself into the airplane, and Wilbur helped him take off. The blades of the propellers began spinning. The Wright Flyer moved along tracks on the sand, picking up speed until . . . it was in the air!

Orville was flying! The flight lasted only 12 seconds, but it was a huge accomplishment.

The brothers flew their airplane three more times that day. Then a gust of wind knocked the plane over, and they couldn’t fly it again. Still, they had made history and achieved their goal!

On December 17, 1903, the brothers were on the frigid beach. They started the engine of the brand-new Wright Flyer. Orville strapped himself into the plane. Wilbur helped him take off. The blades of the propellers began spinning. The Wright Flyer moved on tracks on the sand. It picked up speed. Then it was in the air!

Orville was flying! The flight was only 12 seconds long. But it was a huge accomplishment.

The brothers flew their airplane three more times that day. Then a gust of wind knocked the plane over. They couldn’t fly it again. Still, they had made history. They achieved their goal!

Those first flights changed everything. Eventually, word spread about what the Wright brothers had done. People started building their own airplanes. At first, these planes were so small that they could carry only the pilot. They bounced around in the wind. But over time, people built larger planes that could carry more passengers.

These early flights were expensive—not a lot of people could afford to fly. But eventually flights became more affordable. By the 1950s, more people traveled by plane than by train! Today almost 3 million people fly in the U.S. every day. Airplanes are now much more advanced than the Wright Flyer. Some planes carry more than 800 passengers!

If Wilbur and Orville Wright could see today’s airplanes, they probably wouldn’t believe their eyes. And it all happened thanks to these two incredible inventors. Their story is a reminder that when it comes to dreams, the sky is the limit.

Those first flights changed everything. People heard about what the Wright brothers had done. People started building their own airplanes. At first, these planes were small. They could carry only the pilot. They bounced around in the wind. But people built larger planes over time. These planes could carry more people.

These early flights were expensive. Not a lot of people could afford to fly. But flights started to become cheaper. By the 1950s, more people traveled by plane than by train! Today almost 3 million people fly in the U.S. every day. Today’s airplanes are more advanced than the Wright Flyer. Some planes carry more than 800 people!

Wilbur and Orville Wright probably wouldn’t believe their eyes if they saw today’s airplanes. And it all happened thanks to these two incredible inventors. Their story is a reminder that when it comes to dreams, the sky is the limit