The first flight
History · Key Stage 1 · The School
Before flying was possible
For most of history, nobody had flown a powered machine. Many clever people tried. They failed. Some experts said it could never be done. Then, in December 1903, two brothers proved them wrong. This was a huge moment. People still talk about it.
The Wright brothers
Orville and Wilbur Wright built a flying machine. They tested it on a windy beach. The beach was in North Carolina. On 17 December 1903, Orville flew it. It flew for just twelve seconds. A powered machine had truly flown, with a person controlling it.
Just twelve seconds
The first flight lasted only twelve seconds. It covered about 36 metres. That is shorter than a football pitch. It does not sound impressive today. But it proved something big. A powered machine could carry a person into the air. It could land safely too.
How we know exactly what happened
The Wright brothers set up a camera on the beach. They pointed it at the exact spot. They expected the plane to take off there. A friend pressed the button at the right moment. The photo shows the machine just leaving the ground. Wilbur is running alongside it. Because of that one photo, we know a lot. The brothers also kept their own written notes. So historians know the exact date. They know the exact place. They know the exact length of the flight.
From twelve seconds to space
That twelve-second flight in 1903 led to something huge. Just seventy years later, people flew to the Moon. Each small step built on the one before it. It is worth remembering how recent that first flight really was. It is worth remembering how hard it was too.