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)
Aphorism: He who dares to dream of flight shall soar.
No, we didn't have any particular difficulty in getting the machine into the air. We had a good deal of difficulty in getting it down in one piece.
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 unrestricted highway of the air.
We could hardly believe our eyes when the machine left the track and rose in the air.
If we worked on the assumption that what is currently regarded as impossible is not really impossible, but merely difficult, then we might be able to achieve things that others believe are impossible.
The course of the machine was a little erratic, however, as a result of the air currents, and at the end of 12 seconds it landed 120 feet from the starting point.
The machine was kept in the air for 59 seconds, and during that time it flew a distance of 852 feet.
The greatest value of our experiments has been to show the absolute necessity of a thorough scientific study of the problem.
We were lucky enough to have a good wind, and the machine rose easily.
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.
The machine was under perfect control from the moment it left the track until it landed.
The problem of flight was solved.
We did not have any particular difficulty in getting the machine into the air. We had a good deal of difficulty in getting it down in one piece.
The way to success is to get a lot of failures out of the way first.
The machine was a little erratic, but it was a success.
We were not looking for fame or fortune, but for the satisfaction of solving a problem.
The first successful flight was made by my brother Orville.
The machine was a little difficult to control at first, but we soon got the hang of it.
We had to learn to fly, and we did.
The machine was a success, and we were very happy.
Contemporaries of Wright, Orville
Other Inventions born within 50 years of Wright, Orville (1871–1948).