[Celtic Conservative]

No, the Wright brothers were credited with performing the worlds first manned, powered, controlled and sustained flight. All of these elements were necessary before flight could become a practical and useful technology. that's the true signifigance of their achievement.

CC

[EggsAckley]

From a History of Santa Cruz:

“1904 Montgomery hired and trained aeronaut, Daniel John Maloney to handle the two full scale glider “aeroplanes” completed in the autumn of 1903.

1905 Montgomery directed Maloney in a balloon lift of the glider to heights of 800 to 3000 feet. The balloon was rented by Fred Swanton (the builder of the Santa Cruz Casino, later the Boardwalk). Maloney cut loose and maneuvered over an area of two miles in the air, banking, rising, turning at ease and landing safely on successful flights of March 16th, 17th, and 20th, at Leonard’s ranch, Aptos, California, (now Seascape). These were the first high altitude Aircraft flights in history.”

(http://www.aptoshistory.org/aptos_history.html)