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 greater the effort, the greater the glory.
We thought that the Wright brothers were crazy when they started working on their flying machine.
Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.
It is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skill.
Our failures were stepping stones to success.
The bird's wing, with its aeroplane, is the most perfect piece of machinery in nature.
We owe much to the pioneer aviators who risked their lives.
Invention is not always a matter of genius; often it is perseverance.
The thrill of flying is indescribable.
Aeronautics was neither an easy path nor a pleasant one.
We did not think of ourselves as pioneers; we were just tinkerers.
The future of aviation is boundless.
Success in any field requires a dream and the courage to pursue it.
Our first flight was the culmination of years of hard work.
I have seen the science of aeronautics change the world.
Patents are the lifeblood of invention.
The wind beneath our wings was curiosity.
Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.
We learned to fly by trial and error.
The sky is not the limit; it is just the beginning.
Contemporaries of Wright, Orville
Other Inventions born within 50 years of Wright, Orville (1871–1948).