Description

First flight, 120 feet in 12 seconds, 1903 Dec. 17 at 10:35 a.m.; Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. This negative shows Orville Wright at the controls of the machine, lying prone on the lower wing with hips in the cradle which operated the wing-warping mechanism. Wilbur Wright running alongside to balance the machine, has just released his hold on the forward upright of the right wing. The starting rail, the wing-rest, a coil box, and other items needed for flight preparation are visible behind the machine. Photograph attributed to Wilbur and or Orville Wright. Photograph shows the first powered, controlled, sustained flight. Orville Wright preset the camera and had John T. Daniels squeeze the rubber bulb, tripping the shutter.