CONQUEST OF THE AIR

Evening Star, Issue 19127, 19 December 1925, Page 3

CONQUEST OF THE AIR

EARLY DAYS RECALLED THE WRIGHT BROTHERS 1 FLIGHT TWENTY-TWO YEARS AGO. Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright NEW YOIUv, December IS. (Received December 19, at 9 a.m.) A telegram from Dayton, Ohio, says that Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first airplane flight at Kitty hawk, North Carolina, twenty-two years ago to-day, and it lasted 59sec. Orville Wright, commenting on this _ flight, said; “Wo learned a great deal in that first Tight. We figured that a straight flight at Gft or 7ft wonld show us the strength of our machine, ami at the same time be the safest. Like most persons learning to drive an automobile, wo over-controlled. Another thing that wo did not realise was that there were air currents. We felt every little bump on the ground. Sometimes the piano was many feet in the air, at others within inches of the ground. Government reports showed that the flight had boon made in a twenty-seven mile wind. The full significance of the airplane was not foreseen by us at the time. We could foresee many of the things which the plane could bo used for, but many others were beyond our comprehension. Wo expected it to do much more in a sporting way. We realised that the successful plane would bo a big war feature, as one alone would bo worth thousands of cavalry in scouting work ; hut 'wo could not dream of them being used in groat numbers, as was the case in the late war. Our belief was that a plain, in bringing the war scourge homo to the heart of the people, would prove a. big peace factor. Wo realised that bonibing in small ways would ho possible, but not such uses ns directing gunfire, photography, etc. Wo did not realise the possibilities in commercial work or mail service. The next decade will see developments more startling and important, in both military' and commercial aviation.”—-A. and N.Z. Cable.