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Show It Started Dec. 17 Back In 1503 Man had dreamed of flying like a bird for centuries but it wasn't until two Ohio brothers named Wright, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, made a successful flight in a heavier-than-air machine on Dec. 17, 1903, that the air age began. AMERICANS can be proud the first flight took place in this country. Englishmen, Germans, Frenchmen, and others, had been working toward the long-cherished goal. Orville and Wilbur Wright . of Dayton had been experimenting with gliding craft for years when on one of them they finally mounted a sixteen horsepower motor. On the 17th it flew more than 800 feet for 59 seconds. S.P. LANGLEY of the United States was also on the verge of success with his aircraft (equipped with a steam engine) and Octave Chanute, also an American, was flying a craft without a motor at this time. Sir Hiram Maxim of England and Otto Lilienthal of Germany were close to success. The flying machine presented to the world in 1903 developed slowly until World War I, but from that time on there was no doubt the 20th century would be the air-age century. AND FROM 1903 until this day, Dayton (special events there take place this month), with its air museum, air base and other air and space facilities, has been recognized recog-nized as the historic custodian of powered flight. |