Air Show

Being from Ohio, a lover of bicycles, and someone with a healthy fear of flying, I was naturally drawn to the story of the Wright Brothers. Wilbur and Orville ran a printing business in Dayton, then opened a shop where they built and maintained bicycles. Wilbur preferred long country rides, while Orville enjoyed racing and considered himself a “scorcher” on the track. While running the bike shop, they started work on their first glider, with much of the design and many of the parts coming directly from the bicycle. Their first and most famous airplane flew from the dunes of Kitty Hawk in 1903. But that model could only fly straight, and was not capable of steering. Which is something that many proud Daytonians are quick to point out. After their success in Kitty Hawk, the Wrights returned to Dayton and developed a steerable design at Huffman Prairie, using a catapult that allowed them to launch, fly in controlled circles around the prairie, and land safely back at their makeshift hangar.

From here, things get progressively more insane. Their airplane becomes an international sensation and their pursuit explodes into an arms race that involves dangerous exhibition flights, near-lethal crashes, military contracts, and countless legal battles.

The sad part of the story is that Wilbur Wright was sort of an asshole. Although he technically died of Typhoid Fever, it’s more likely that greed and stress are what slowly killed him. Had he spent less time arguing with his competitors and more time designing planes with his quieter, more laid back brother, there’s no telling what they could have accomplished.