Wright Brothers - First Flight

On the 17th of December, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright brought their new airplane (Flyer) to the windy beach at Kill Devil Hill, North Carolina. Orville would attempt the first flight.

After shaking hands (“like two folks parting who weren’t sure they’d ever see each other again), Orville took the controls. With a cold wind blowing around 27 miles an hour, he flew 120 feet in twelve seconds. Each flying twice, Wilbur flew the farthest and longest: 852 feet in fifty-seven seconds.

This clip, from NASA, combines historical footage and recreated scenes to depict what happened when the Wright Brothers flew mankind’s first powered, controlled flights.