Where is the Birthplace of Aviation?

Wright's airplane in Army trial flights at Fort Meyer Virginia in July 1909.
Wright's airplane in Army trial flights at Fort Meyer Virginia in July 1909.

The term "aviation" was coined in 1863 by a French writer Gabriel Landelle. Aviation refers to all numerous developments in the aircraft industry and mechanical flight. Even though aviation started in the eighteenth century with the hot-air balloons, its history can be traced to over 2,000 years ago when kites were invented. The discovery of hydrogen during the eighteenth century resulted in the creation of hydrogen balloons and the hot-air balloon by the Montgolfier brothers. Numerous theories in mechanics, particularly Newton’s law of motion and fluid dynamics, contributed to the establishing of aerodynamics. The biggest step in this industry came in the early 1900s when the Wright brothers constructed the first powered aircraft. Since then, air transport has been transformed by the introduction of jet engines.

Where Is The Birthplace Of Aviation?

Over a century ago, the Wright brothers from Ohio changed the world by building the first powered airplane. Since then Ohio has been the cradle of numerous pioneering aviators, and home of countless aviation inventions. However, North Carolina claimed to be the cradle of aviation, since the Wright brothers made their first heavier-than-air flight in North Carolina on December 17, 1903. North Carolina stated their claim when they introduced the ‘’First-in-Flight’’ license plates in the state. Ohio responded by introducing the ‘’Birthplace-of-Aviation’’ plates a few years later. The Congress ended the dispute in 2003 when they declared Ohio to be the cradle of aviation over North Carolina, since the Wright brothers were from Dayton, Ohio.

Why Is Ohio The Cradle Of Aviation?

Other than the fact that the Wright brothers were from Dayton, Ohio, many historians believe that they drew up their design and built their aircraft in their bicycle shop in Dayton. According to NASA, Ohio has produced the highest number of astronauts (23 astronauts) who have gone to space in the United States, including Neil Armstrong, the first person to visit the moon. Another Ohio astronaut, John Glenn, managed to set an intercontinental speed record. John was selected to take part in the Mercury-7 flight, and in 1962 he became the first human being to orbit the earth. The National Air-Force Museum, which has over 300 aircraft, is also found in Dayton, Ohio.

The Fathers Of Aviation

In today’s world, people travel halfway around the globe within a few hours, thanks to the jumbo jetliners. However, there was a time, over a century ago, when air travel was considered to be impossible. Everything changed during the early twentieth century when Wilbur and Orville Wright designed, built, and flew the first aircraft on the planet. The Wright brothers made history on December 17, 1903, when they did their first flight in Kitty Hawk. Their first flight only lasted for 12 seconds, but it marked the beginning of the aviation industry as we know it today. The Wright brothers kept improving their aircraft until October 5, 1905, when Wilbur flew 24 miles in less than 40 minutes. What separated them from the other pioneers was the fact that the Wright brothers designed an effective way of controlling their aircraft. The 3-axis controlling system is still being used today over a century after it was developed.

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