If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 539

 

 

 

 

 

Wright Brothers glider flight, 1902, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

 

The two postcards shared this week feature the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, on flights in glider and powered aircraft.  The black and white pictures from 1902 and 1903 are historical photographs that were made into postcards and distributed by the Eastern National Park Monument Association in 1984. 

 

Oriville Wright was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1871 and died in 1948 in Dayton.  Wilbur Wright was born 1867 in Millville, Indiana, an died in 1912, in Dayton, Ohio.  Neither brother married.  Both brothers attended high school but did not receive a diploma.  Orville dropped out of school in his junior year and started a printing business in 1889.  He ha designed and built his own printing press with help from Wilbur.  Wilbur joined the print shop and the brothers first printed a weekly newspaper, the West Side News and converted that to a daily paper in 1890 but it only lasted 4 months.  They then switched to commercial printing projects.  In 1892 they opened a bicycle repair and sales shop and in 1896 began manufacturing their own brand.  Their work of many years with printing presses, bicycles, motors and other machinery convinced them  that just like balancing on a bicycle it should be possible to build a flying machine that could be controlled and balanced with practice.  Beginning in 1900 until the first powered flight in 1903 they tested the idea with glider flights.  One of their shop employees, Charles Taylor, became an important part of the team and helped build the first airplane engine with the brothers.  

 

 The Wright brothers made approximately 1000 glider flights in 1902 that provided knowledge and experience leading to successful powered flights.  In the card above we see Orville Wright on the glider with Wilbur Wright at the left and Dan Tate on the right assisting in the glider lift off.  Dan Tate was a fisherman who was a part-time general helper for the Wright brothers.  The photograph was taken 10 October 1902.

 

 Powered aircraft flight, 1903, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

 

The first successful powered flight was captured in this postcard photograph above that has Wilbur Wright watching his brother, Orville, lifting off, 17 December 1903.  The aircraft went 120 feet in 12 seconds. 

 

The community of Kill Devil Hills did not exist until 1953 but Kitty Hawk, 4 miles north, did so these first flights are usually identified as being at Kitty Hill, North Carolina.  The location was chosen for good winds that would help with the gliders and later with the powered airplanes.  The Wright Brothers National Memorial, dedicated in 1932, is found in the town of Kill Devil Hills. 

 

Thanks to K and J for sharing the postcards.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_brothers

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Hawk_North_Carolina

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_Devil_Hills,_North_Carolina