The dream of flying is as old as humankind itself. Throughout our history, we have struggled to achieve flight. And it wasn’t until fairly recently in our history that we achieved the first flight. We started with balloons, followed with gliders, and eventually developed powered aircraft. The story of this achievement is a fascinating one, with many players such as the Wright Brothers being well established. However, their historic first flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903 may not have actually been the first powered flight. In this three part series, Disciples of Flight is going to look at the question of who achieved the first flight with a powered aircraft. In part one, First Flight: The Early Aviators, we will look at the development of flight leading up to the Wright Brothers. Part two, First Flight: the Wright Brothers, will give a brief history of the brothers, and cover their first flight. And part three, First Flight: Gustave Whitehead, will cover the bold claims of Gustave Whitehead, and others, to first flight.
valerie taylor on 12 Jul 13"human power, delivered to the craft's four rotors through the bicycle pedals he steadily pumps throughout his flight. It's that fragile machine, built by Reichert's Canadian team, which has now won a long-coveted international prize that lay unclaimed for years. The AHS Igor I. Sikorsky Human Powered Helicopter Competition was established in 1980 for the first successful controlled flight of a human powered helicopter that could reach a height of three metres while hovering for at least one minute in a 10-square-meter area."
