Wright, Orville
Along with his brother Wilbur, he invented, built, and flew the world's first successful airplane.
Most quoted
"The first successful flight was made on December 17, 1903. We were in the air for 12 seconds and flew 120 feet. It was the first time in the history of the world that a machine carrying a man had raised itself by its own power into the air in full flight, had sailed forward without reduction of speed, and had finally landed at a point as high as that from which it started."
— from Official statement/letter, 1903
"The first flight lasted only 12 seconds, but it was nevertheless the first in the history of the world in which a machine carrying a man had raised itself by its own power into the air in full flight, had sailed forward without reduction of speed, and had finally landed at a point as high as that from which it started."
— from Letter to his father, December 17, 1903, 1903
"The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who, in their tedious travels across prairies and mountains and deserts, looked enviously at the birds soaring freely through space, at the swiftness of their flight, and at the ease with which they seemingly moved at will through the air."
— from Speech to the Aero Club of America, 1908
All quotes by Wright, Orville (384)
The airplane is an invention that will make war impossible.
It is easier to build a machine than to understand a bird.
The future of flight is in the hands of those who dare to dream.
We learned to fly by flying.
We had no government grants, no wealthy patrons, just a bicycle shop and a dream.
The only way to do great work is to love what you do.
The airplane is a tool, and like any tool, it can be used for good or ill.
We were not trying to make money, we were trying to make history.
The wind is a fickle friend, but a powerful teacher.
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then try something else.
The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.
We built our machine, and then we taught ourselves to fly it.
The air is not a solid, but it can be made to support a solid.
The greatest joy is to create something new.
We were not afraid of the unknown, we embraced it.
The airplane is a testament to the power of human ingenuity.
We just kept at it, day after day, year after year.
The sky is not the limit, it's just the beginning.
No, we weren't looking for fame. We were looking for the truth.
The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who, in their grueling travels across trackless lands in prehistoric times, looked enviously at the birds soaring freely through space, at the infinite highway of the air.
Contemporaries of Wright, Orville
Other Inventions born within 50 years of Wright, Orville (1871–1948).