The Wrights’ famous first flight was the last flight of the day at Kittyhawk. All the others that day had failed. On the last flight, the Wright Flyer became airborne under its own power and flew 120 feet. Higher and longer flights were made on the following days.
The Wright's achievement was not seen as important at the time by the media of the day, but the Wright's being home for Christmas was.
“On the last flight, the Wright Flyer became airborne under its own power and flew 120 feet. Higher and longer flights were made on the following days.”
Actually, the first flight day consisted of 4 flights. Each higher and longer than the previous. Some damage was incurred on some of the flights, but was repaired on the spot. The first flight could have occurred completely within the cargo hold of a C-5. None of the flights got much higher than 10-15’, The last flight that day lasted some 50 seconds and 600’. The plane was damaged by the winds shortly after that flight and never flew again. The 1903 flyer was way underpowered and really couldn’t take off on it’s own. The Brothers had waited for a perfect launch day, sustained winds over 20mph. They laid out the 2x4’s into the wind to launch. When they later built the Flyer II and tested it in Ohio they needed a catapult system to get it airborne. Amazing men really.