Words: Violet
The place was Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the year was 1903 and the moment was one of the most significant in aviation. It was the moment that the first successful powered airplane took flight.
The Wright brothers began their experimentation in flight in 1896 at their bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio. They selected the beach at Kitty Hawk as their proving ground because of the constant wind that added lift to their craft. Having perfected glided flight, the next step was to move to powered flight. No automobile manufacturer could supply an engine both light enough and powerful enough for their needs, so they designed and built their own.
Between 1899 and 1905, the Wright brothers conducted a program of aeronautical research and experimentation that led to the first successful powered airplane in 1903. All of their hard work, experimentation and innovation came together on December 17th as they took to the sky and forever changed the course of aviation history. Flyer became the first powered, heavier-than-air machine to achieve controlled, sustained flight with a pilot aboard. All successful airplanes since then have incorporated the basic design elements of the 1903 Wright Flyer.
One brand that has always had an affinity with aviation is Breitling. The first watchmaker to make chronographers for pilots, to this day Breitling is the best place to go for precision-made chronometers producing a quality totally unmatched in the industry. breitling.com
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