Regarding Wright Brothers flight training . . .
The first U.S. military - trained - flying preceded the “Wright Flying School” that was, for a few months of 1910, based in Alabama.
See:
Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeronautical_Division,_U.S._Signal_Corps
In November 1909, Lt. Louis Foulois became the only officer detailed to the Aeronautical Division.
I even have a Wright Brother tie that I wore to work today...:)
Orville (I think it was Orville) created and implemented the first usable wind tunnel.
They used it in a fully modern fashion, constructing airfoils and such attached to scales to measure the lift of the airfoil to find out why, when using the tables and calculations of Otto Lilienthal, their gliders were underperforming. Apparently, they tried everything else, and it was the only place they hadn't looked.
They just assumed Otto Lilienthal's calculations were correct, but when they tested, they found out they simply were not.
I use the Wright Brothers and their race against Samuel Langley as an example of what private money can do versus public money, when there is skin in the game!
I knew I got a name wrong; corrected:
Lt. Benjamin Foulois
I'm a military brat, so if we're reminiscing things military, do any of you remember the following inter-related things: brownie cameras, grainy b&w newsreels, Naval Air Ships (blimps), Lakehurst NAS, and the Hindenburg?