One thing the Wright bros. had almost from the beginning was CONTROLLED powered flight, i.e., being able to steer up and down, left and right, when other rivals were just projectiles.
Even 5 years later, in 1908, no one could rival them when Wilbur demonstrated the ability to turn his airplane at will all over the skies of Europe:
https://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/wright-brothers/online/age/1908/europe.cfm
Exactly - that Brazilian guy never controlled that ‘projectile’ ... I think the story went that it gained maybe a few feet altitude then came right back down, it sort of bounced its way down the field.
I spent a number of years working near Huffman Prairie, as I was going to and from I never failed to look over at the field where the first Master pilot was born. It seems flight training was born in Dayton, Ohio. Wilbur made the first 360 degree turns here and practiced this over and over again in this small portion of the Prairie until he had mastered it.
Charles E. Taylor: The Man Aviation History Almost Forgot https://dljh1964.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/charles-e-taylor-the-man-aviation-history-almost-forgot/
An interesting read about a serial killer connection:
http://recordherald.com/opinion/8529/wilbur-wright-and-the-hockey-stick