On the morning of the 17^th of December 1903 at Kill Devil Hills, near Kitty Hawk in Northern Carolina USA. Orville and Wilbur Wright stood holding the supports of the wings of their Flyer aeroplane, five men from a nearby life saving station gathered around nearby to see if this flying machine would really fly.

Until this day people had only succeeded in taking to the skies only in gliders and hot air balloons. Powered aeroplanes had not succeeded until this day.

Orville lay across the lower wing in the pilot's cradle and clasped the controls. Then the engine came to life driving two bicycle chains which rotated the flyers propeller. A holding rope was set free and the flyer rolled forward the flyer then rose slowly into the air.