The First man to Fly, New York Times, and the Wright Brothers
Wright brothers, are arguably under credited for invention of human flight, but they really were not the first to fly, you might think it must be some caveman trying to ride a pterodactyl or something but I guess that is better suited for the fantasies, or at least not scientific or historical proof remains of such a incident. The smarter ones might think Leonardo Da Vinci, all of us have heard the name but most people only know about his paintings not about how he was a polymath [1] and wrote and drew fairly accurate descriptions and diagrams of the human body, designed one of the first military tanks, flying machines and deep water diving suits all of which are interesting but a minority of population also knows him for his flying machine, in which it is claimed to be that he used to glide over an entire bridge in Italy. Yet you would be amazed that it is an Arab who was The First man to fly, more on that so keep reading.
Abbas Ibn Firnas was a physician, musician, astronomer, chemist, poet, inventor and engineer like all his fellows during the Golden Age of Arabia [2]. Abbas ibn Firnas was extremely unique in more than a few senses he was very similar to Leonardo Da Vinci as he too, was a polymath, but he focused more on inventions and not paintings who designed a water clock, early metronome, reading lenses and even planispheres which were analog computers that tracked stars and moons. Abbas ibn Firnas had a special connection with the sky not only because he was a prominent astronomer in Andalusia [3] but because he is also regarded as the first man to fly. Around 875 AD, he made his own bird-like wings from wood and feathers, taking to the skies from the Great Mosque of Cordoba. While reports differ on the duration and outcome of his flight, there i no denying his pioneering spirit. It is now believed that he was critically injured during his first flight after which he long a long break and returned to complete his flight which he then did. Poetically speaking, his yearning for the sky left him forlorn, and forced him to design himself as a bird, as he rode once again with nothing but faith and inquiry in his wings, he serendipitously flew a stellar flight and became the first man to fly.
The Wright Brothers: Obsessed with aviation from an early age, they meticulously studied anything from bird flights and glider designs. Through tireless experimentation at Kitty Hawk North Carolina, they developed the revolutionary Wright Flyer, equipped with an engine that was built by their assistant, who was also forgotten with time. On December 17, 1903, Orville Wright made the first sustained, controlled airplane flight [4], marking a defining moment in human history. The New York Times, mere days before the first plane flight wrote that human aviation would take more than a million years and gave the testimonials of experts on the subject but later took a turn. The “Gray Lady” played a crucial role in documenting and disseminating news of the Wright brothers’ achievement. Articles like “Wright Brothers Make Two Flights in Windy Weather” and “Air-Ship Inventors Prove Their Claims” fuelled public imagination and inspired future generations of aviators. Which in some sense outdid the harm that they caused. Even though the plane model was rejected by the federal government in Washington the duo performed in Paris which brought them world fame and deals.
Abbas ibn Firnas is truly inspiring. He paved the way for later inventors [5], experimenting with wing design and foreshadowing the use of gliders centuries before their formal development. The wright brothers even though fairly famous were flared with accusation but these judgements did nothing and their first flight increased their chances of acquittal. This goes to show that even when people say that what you are trying to achieve is going to take a million years, remember who else was mocked with the same line and keep working on your ideas with even greater passion and love.
[1] A polymath is a person who has a wide spread knowledge of many things.
[2] The Islamic or Arabic golden age was a period where Middle East, North Africa and Islamic Spain flourished in terms of knowledge, inventions and ideas.
[3] Andalusia is Spain in Arabic as the Iberian peninsula used to be the territory of Umayyad Caliphate and Arabic influence over the region was for over 400 years.
[4] He flew 120 feet above ground but for only 12 seconds.
[5] Like metronomes and better clocks.
And as always thanks for reading
The First man to fly
The First man to fly
The First man to fly