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)
It is not true that I invented the airplane. I merely applied the principles of flight to a machine.
The greatest value of the airplane is not in its speed, but in its ability to bring people closer together.
We could hardly believe our eyes when we saw the machine rise in the air and fly.
The machine itself is nothing. The spirit which it embodies, the human spirit, is everything.
The airplane has made the world a smaller place, but it has also made the world a more interesting place.
We were not looking for a fortune, but for a solution to a problem.
The greatest invention is not the airplane, but the human mind that conceived it.
The air, like the sea, is an open highway, and its navigation is destined to revolutionize the commerce of the world.
The airplane is a symbol of human aspiration, of our desire to reach for the stars.
We dared to dream, and we dared to try.
The human spirit is capable of anything, if only it believes in itself.
The airplane is a testament to the power of human ingenuity and perseverance.
We were not afraid to fail, for we knew that failure was a stepping stone to success.
The beauty of flight is not just in the machine, but in the freedom it offers.
The airplane has changed the way we see the world, and the way we see ourselves.
We were driven by a passion for discovery, a desire to unlock the secrets of the air.
The sky is not the limit, it is just the beginning.
The true joy of flight is not in conquering the air, but in experiencing its embrace.
We built a machine that could fly, but we also built a dream that could inspire.
The airplane is a reminder that with enough determination, anything is possible.
Contemporaries of Wright, Orville
Other Inventions born within 50 years of Wright, Orville (1871–1948).