How It Flies; or, The Conquest of the Air / The Story of Man's Endeavors to Fly and of the Inventions by Which He Has Succeeded

At Rheims, in 1909, he appeared with a Bleriot monoplane, and continued to fly with that type of machine until his death. At Doncaster, England, he made the world record for speed up to that time, travelling at the rate of 49.9 miles per hour. He was killed at Bordeaux, France, in January, 1910, by the fall of his machine.

HENRI FARMAN.

Henri Farman, justly regarded as the most prominent figure in the aviation world today, was born in France in 1873. His father was an Englishman.

While a mere boy he became locally famous as a bicycle racer, and later achieved a wider fame as a fearless and skillful driver in automobile races. In 1902 he won the Paris-Vienna race.

In September, 1907, he made his first attempt to fly, using the second biplane built by his friend Gabriel Voisin, and in the following year he won with it the Deutsch-Archdeacon prize of $10,000. He then built a machine after his own ideas, which more resembles the Wright machine than the Voisin, and with it he has won many prizes, and made many world records. Demands for machines, and for teaching the art of handling them, have poured in upon him, necessitating a continual increase of manufacturing facilities until it may safely be said that he has the largest plant for building flying machines in the world, turning out the largest number of machines, and through his school for aviators is instructing a larger number of pupils annually than any other similar establishment.

ROBERT ESNAULT-PELTERIE.

Robert Esnault-Pelterie was born in 1880, and educated in the city of Paris. He early showed a mechanical turn of mind, and was interested particularly in scientific studies. He became an enthusiast in matters aeronautic, and devoted himself to the construction of gasoline engines suitable for aviation purposes. After satisfying his ideal in this direction with the now famous “R-E-P” motor, he designed a new type of flying machine which is known as the “R-E-P monoplane.” His first flights were made at Buc in October, 1907, and while they were short, they proved the possibility of steering a flying machine so that it would describe a curved line—at that time a considerable achievement among European aviators. In April, 1908, he flew for ¾ of a mile, and reached a height of 100 feet. This feat eclipsed all previous records for monoplanes.

His fame, however, rests upon his motors, which are quite original in design and construction.

COUNT FERDINAND VON ZEPPELIN.

Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin was born in 1838, on the shores of the Lake Constance, where his great airships have had their initial trials.

It is an interesting fact that Count von Zeppelin made his first balloon ascension in a war-balloon attached to the army corps commanded by his friend, Carl Schurz, during the Civil War.

It was only after years of absorbing study of all that human knowledge could contribute that Count von Zeppelin decided upon the type of dirigible which bears his name. Under the patronage of the King of Würtemberg he began his first airship, having previously built an immense floating shed, which, swinging by a cable, always had its doors facing away from the wind.

The successful flights of the series of magnificent Zeppelin airships have been marvellous in an age crowded with wonders. And the misfortune which has followed close upon their superb achievements with complete destruction would long ago have undone a man of less energy and courage than the dauntless Count. It should be borne in mind, however, that of the hundreds of passengers carried in his ships of the air, all have come to land safely—a record that it would be difficult to match with any other form of travel. The accidents which have destroyed the Zeppelins have never happened in the air, excepting only the wrecking of the Deutschland by a thunderstorm.

The indefatigable Count is now constructing another airship with the new alloy, electron, instead of aluminum. He estimates that 5,000 pounds’ weight can be saved in this way.

CAPTAIN THOMAS S. BALDWIN.

Captain Thomas S. Baldwin, balloonist and aviator, was born in Mississippi in 1855. His first aeronautical experience was as a parachute rider from a balloon in the air. He invented the parachute he used, and received for it a gold medal from the Balloon Society of Great Britain. Exhibiting this parachute, Captain Baldwin made an extensive tour of the civilized world.

In 1892 he built his first airship, a combination of a balloon, a screw propeller, and a bicycle, the last to furnish the motive power. It was not until 1902, when be installed an automobile engine in his airship, that he succeeded in making it sail. It was not yet dirigible, however; but after two years of devising and experimenting, he sailed away from Oakland, Cal., on August 2, 1904, against the wind, and after a short voyage, turned and came back to his balloon-shed. From this time on he made several successful dirigibles, and in 1908 he met all the requirements of the United States Government for a military dirigible, and sold to it the only dirigible it possesses.

He became interested in the experiments of Curtiss and McCurdy at Hammondsport, in 1908, and aided in building the remarkable series of biplanes with which record flights were made. The newer design, known as the Baldwin biplane, is unique in the pivoted balancing plane set upright above the upper plane, a device entirely distinct from the warping or other manipulation of horizontal surfaces for the purpose of restoring lateral balance.

GLENN HAMMOND CURTISS.

Glenn Hammond Curtiss was born at Hammondsport, N. Y., on the shore of Lake Keuka, in 1878. From boyhood he was a competitor and winner in all sorts of races where speed was the supreme test. By nature a mechanic, he became noted for his ingenious contrivances in this line, and built a series of extremely fast motor-cycles, with one of which he made the record of one mile in 26⅖ seconds, which still stands as the fastest mile ever made by man with any form of mechanism.

Through the purchasing of one of his light engines by Captain Baldwin for his dirigible, Curtiss became interested in aeronautical matters, and soon built a glider with which he sailed down from the Hammondsport hills. The combination of his motor and the glider was the next step, and on July 4, 1908, he flew 1½ miles with the June Bug, winning the Scientific American trophy.

Learning that the United States was not to be represented at the Rheims meet in August, 1909, he hastily built a biplane and went there. He won the first prize for the course of 30 kilometres (18.6 miles), second prize for the course of 10 kilometres, the James Gordon Bennett cup, and the tenth prize in the contest for distance. From Rheims he went to Brescia, Italy, and there won the first prize for speed. In all these contests he was matching his biplane against monoplanes which were acknowledged to be a faster type than the biplane.

On May 29, 1910, Mr. Curtiss made the first stated aeroplane tour to take place in this country, travelling from Albany to New York City, 137 miles, with but one stop for fuel. With this flight he won a prize of $10,000.

He has made many other notable flights and stands in the foremost rank of the active aviators. At the same time he is busily engaged in the manufacture of the Curtiss biplane and the Curtiss engine, both staple productions in their line.

CHARLES KEENEY HAMILTON.

Charles Keeney Hamilton is justly regarded as one of the most skilful of aviators. He was born in Connecticut in 1881, and showed his “bent” by making distressing, and often disastrous, leaps from high places with the family umbrella for a parachute.

In 1904 he worked with Mr. Israel Ludlow, who at that time was experimenting with gliders of his own construction, and when Mr. Ludlow began towing them behind automobiles, Hamilton rode on the gliders and steered them. Later he became interested in ballooning, and made a tour of Japan with a small dirigible.

He early became famous in the aviation world by his spectacular glides from a great height. He has said that the first of these was unintentional, but his motor having stopped suddenly while he was high in the air, he had only the other alternative of falling vertically. The sensation of the swift gliding having pleased him, he does it frequently “for the fun of it.” These glides are made at so steep an angle that they have gained the distinctive name, “Hamilton dives.”

Hamilton came most prominently before the public at large with his flight from Governor’s Island to Philadelphia and back, on June 13, 1910. Following close upon Curtiss’s flight from Albany to New York, it was not only a record-breaking achievement, but helped to establish in this country the value of the aeroplane as a vehicle for place-to-place journeyings.

HUBERT LATHAM.

Hubert Latham, the famous Antoinette pilot, is a graduate of Oxford. His father was a naturalized Frenchman.

His first aeronautical experience was as companion to his cousin, Jacques Faure, the balloonist, on his famous trip from London to Paris in 6½ hours, the fastest time ever made between the two places until the Clement-Bayard dirigible surpassed it by a few minutes on October 16, 1910.

The Antoinette monoplane with which M. Latham has identified himself began with the ingenious engine of Levavasseur, which was speedily made use of for aeroplanes by Santos-Dumont, Bleriot, and Farman. Levavasseur also had ideas about aeroplanes, and persuaded some capitalists to back him in the enterprise. When it was done, no one could be found to fly it. Here M. Latham, a lieutenant of miners and sappers in the French army, stepped into the breach, and has made a name for himself and for the Antoinette machine in the forefront of the progress of aviation.

After winning several contests he set out, on July 19, 1909, to cross the British Channel. After flying about half the distance he fell into the sea. Six days later Bleriot made the crossing successfully, and Latham made a second attempt on July 27th, and this time got within a mile of the Dover coast before he again came down in the water.

He has shown unsurpassed daring and skill in flying in gales blowing at 40 miles per hour, a record which few other aviators have cared to rival.

ALFRED LEBLANC.

Alfred Leblanc, the champion cross-country flier of the world, was born in France in 1879. By profession he is a metallurgist. A friend of Bleriot, he became interested in monoplane flying, the more readily because he was already a skilled balloonist.

At the time Bleriot made his historic flight across the British Channel, Leblanc preceded him, and, standing on the Dover shore, signalled Bleriot where to strike the land.

He organized Bleriot’s school for aviators at Pau, and became its director. Its excellence is exhibited in the quality of its pupils; among them Chavez, Morane, and Aubrun.

The achievement through which Leblanc is most widely known is his winning of the 489-mile race over the northern part of France in August, 1910, and with the victory the prize of $20,000 offered.

CLAUDE GRAHAME-WHITE.

Claude Grahame-White, the most famous of British aviators, learned to fly in France, under the tutelage of M. Bleriot, Having accomplished so much, he went to Mourmelon, the location of Farman’s establishment, and made himself equally proficient on the Farman biplane. While in France he taught many pupils, among them Armstrong Drexel. Returning to England, he opened a school for English aviators.

He came into prominent public notice in his contest with Paulhan in the race from London to Manchester, and although Paulhan won the prize, Grahame-White received a full share of glory for his plucky persistence against discouraging mishaps.

At the Boston-Harvard meet, in September, 1910, Grahame-White carried off nearly all the prizes, and in addition won for himself a large measure of personal popularity.

On October 14th he flew from the Benning Race Track 6 miles away, over the Potomac River, around the dome of the Capitol, the Washington Monument, and over the course of Pennsylvania Avenue, up to the State, War, and Navy Department building, alighting accurately with his 40-foot biplane in the 60-foot street. Having ended his “call,” he mounted his machine and rose skilfully into the air and returned to his starting point.

At the Belmont Park meet, in October, Grahame-White captured the international speed prize with his 100-horse-power Bleriot monoplane, and finished second in the race around the Statue of Liberty, being beaten by only 43 seconds.

LOUIS PAULHAN.

Louis Paulhan was, in January, 1909, a mechanic in Mourmelon, France, earning the good wages in that country of $15 per week. He became an aviator, making his first flight on July 10, 1909, of 1¼ miles. Five days later he flew over 40 miles, remaining in the air 1 hour 17 minutes, and rising to an altitude of 357 feet, then the world’s record. He flew constantly in public through the remainder of 1909, winning many prizes and breaking and making records.

In January, 1910, he was the most prominent aviator at the Los Angeles meet, and there made a new world’s record for altitude, 4,166 feet.

Within the 13 months and 3 weeks (up to October 1, 1910) that he has been flying, he has won over $100,000 in prizes, besides receiving many handsome fees for other flights and for instruction to pupils.

CLIFFORD B. HARMON.

Clifford B. Harmon has the double distinction of being not only the foremost amateur aviator of America, but his feats have also at times excelled those of the professional airmen. On July 2, 1910, Mr. Harmon made a continuous flight of more than 2 hours, breaking all American records, and this he held for several months.

Mr. Harmon’s first experience in the air was as a balloonist, and in this capacity he held the duration record of 48 hours 26 minutes for a year. On this same voyage, at the St. Louis Centennial, he made a new record in America for altitude attained, 24,400 feet.

At the Los Angeles aviation meet, in January, 1910, where he went with his balloon New York, he met Paulhan, and became his pupil. At that meet Paulhan made a new world’s record for altitude with a Farman biplane, and this machine Mr. Harmon bought, and brought to Mineola, L. I., where he practised assiduously, crowning his minor achievements by flying from there across Long Island Sound to Greenwich, Conn.

At the Boston-Harvard aviation meet, in September, 1910, Mr. Harmon won every prize offered to amateur contestants.

WALTER BROOKINS.

Walter Brookins is one of the youngest of noted aviators. He was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1890, and went to school to Miss Katherine Wright, sister of the Wright brothers. Young Walter was greatly interested in the experiments made by the Wrights, and Orville one day promised him that when he grew up they would build a flying machine for him. Brookins appeared at Dayton in the early part of 1910, after several years’ absence, during which he had grown up, and demanded the promised flying machine. The Wrights met the demand, and developed Brookins into one of the most successful American aviators.

Brookins’s first leap into prominence was at the Indianapolis meet, in June, 1910, where he made a new world’s record for altitude, 4,803 feet. This being beaten soon after in Europe, by J. Armstrong Drexel, with 6,600 feet, Brookins attempted, at Atlantic City, in September, to excel Drexel’s record, and rose to a height of 6,175 feet, being forced to come down by the missing of his motor.

On September 29, 1910, he left Chicago for Springfield, Ill. He made two stops on the way for repairs and fuel, and reached Springfield in 7 hours 9 minutes elapsed time. His actual time in the air was 5 hours 47 minutes. The air-line distance between the two cities is 187 miles, but as Brookins flew in the face of a wind blowing 10 miles an hour, he actually travelled 250 miles. During the journey Brookins made a new cross-country record for America in a continuous flight for 2 hours 38 minutes.

JOHN B. MOISANT.

John B. Moisant is an architect of Chicago, born there of Spanish parentage in 1883. Becoming interested in aviation, he went to France in 1909, and began the construction of two aeroplanes, one of them entirely of metal. He started to learn to fly on a Bleriot machine, and one day took one of his mechanicians aboard and started for London. The mechanician had never before been up in an aeroplane. After battling with storms and repairing consequent accidents to his machine, Moisant landed his passenger in London three weeks after the start. It was the first trip between the two cities for an aeroplane carrying a passenger, and although Moisant failed to win the prize which had been offered for such a feat, he received a great ovation, and a special medal was struck for him.

At the Belmont Park meet, in October, 1910, Moisant, after wrecking his own machine in a gale, climbed into Leblanc’s Bleriot, which had been secured for him but a few minutes before, and made the trip around the Statue of Liberty in New York Bay and returned to the Park in 34 minutes 38 seconds. As the distance is over 34 miles, the speed was nearly a mile a minute. This feat won for him, and for America, the grand prize of the meet—$10,000.

J. ARMSTRONG DREXEL.

J. Armstrong Drexel is a native of Philadelphia. He was taught to fly a Bleriot machine at Pau by Grahame-White, and he has frequently surpassed his instructor in contests where both took part. At the English meets in 1910 he won many of the prizes, being excelled in this respect only by Leon Morane.

At Lanark, Scotland, he established a new world’s record for altitude, 6,600 feet. At the Belmont Park meet he passed his former record with an altitude of 7,185 feet, making this the American record, though it had been excelled in Europe. At Philadelphia, November 23, 1910, he reached an altitude of 9,970 feet, according to the recording barometer he carried, thus making a new world’s record. This record was disputed by the Aero Club, and it may be reduced. A millionaire, he flies for sheer love of the sport.

RALPH JOHNSTONE.

Ralph Johnstone was born in Kansas City, Mo., in 1880. He became an expert bicycle rider, and travelled extensively in many countries giving exhibitions of trick bicycle riding, including the feat known as “looping the loop.” He joined the staff of the Wright Brothers’ aviators in April, 1910, and speedily became one of the most skilful aeroplane operators.

He made a specialty of altitude flying, breaking his former records day after day, and finally, at the International Aviation Meet at Belmont Park, L. I., in October, 1910, he made a new world’s altitude record of 9,714 feet, surpassing the previous record of 9,121 feet made by Wynmalen at Mourmelon, on October 1st.

Johnstone was instantly killed at Denver, Col., on November 14, 1910, by a fall with his machine owing to the breaking of one of the wings at a height of 800 feet.

Chapter XIX.
CHRONICLE OF AVIATION ACHIEVEMENTS.

How feeble the start, and how wondrously rapid the growth of the art of flying! Nothing can better convey a full idea of its beginnings and its progress than the recorded facts as given below. And these facts show beyond dispute that the credit of laying the foundation for every accomplishment in the entire record must be largely due to the men whose names stand alone for years as the only aeroplanists in the world—the Wright Brothers.

After the first flight on December 17, 1903, the Wrights worked steadily toward improving their machines, and gaining a higher degree of the art of balancing, without which even the most perfect machines would be useless. Most of their experimenting having been done in secret, the open record of their results from time to time is very meagre. It may be noted, however, that for nearly three years no one else made any records at all.

The next name to appear on the roll is that of Santos-Dumont, already famous for his remarkable achievements in building and navigating dirigible balloons, or airships. His first aeroplane flight was on August 22, 1906, and was but little more than rising clear of the ground.

It was nearly seven months later when Delagrange added his name to the three then on the list of practical aviators. In about five months Bleriot joined them, and in a few more weeks Farman had placed his name on the roll. It is interesting to compare the insignificant figures of the first flights of these men with their successive feats as they gain in experience.

Up to October 19, 1907, the flights recorded had been made with machines of the biplane type, but on that date, R. Esnault-Pelterie made a few short flights with a monoplane. A month later Santos-Dumont had gone over to the monoplane type, and the little group of seven had been divided into two classes—five biplanists and two monoplanists.

On March 29, 1908, Delagrange started a new column in the record book by taking a passenger up with him, in this case, Farman. They flew only 453 feet, but it was the beginning of passenger carrying.

During the first six months of 1908 only two more names were added to the roll—Baldwin and McCurdy—both on the biplane side. On July 4, 1908, Curtiss comes into the circle with his first recorded flight, in which he used a biplane of his own construction. The same day in France, Bleriot changed to the ranks of the monoplane men, with a flight measured in miles, instead of in feet. Two days later, Farman advanced his distance record from 1.24 miles to 12.2 miles, and his speed record from about 21 miles an hour to nearly 39 miles an hour. In two days more, Delagrange had taken up the first woman passenger ever carried on an aeroplane; and a month later, Captain L. F. Ferber had made his first flights in public, and added his name to the growing legion of the biplanists.

In the latter part of 1908, the Wrights seem to take possession of the record—Orville in America, and Wilbur in Europe—surpassing their own previous feats as well as those of others. Bleriot and Farman also steadily advance their performances to a more distinguished level.

The record for 1909 starts off with three new names—Moore-Brabazon, and Legagneux in France, and Cody in England. Richardson, Count de Lambert, Calderara, Latham, Tissandier, Rougier, join the ranks of the aviators before the year is half gone, and a few days later Sommer and Paulhan add their names.

Of these only Latham flies the monoplane type of machine, but at the Rheims tournament Delagrange appears as a monoplanist, increasing the little group to four; but, with Le Blon added later, they perform some of the most remarkable feats on record.

The contest at Rheims in August is a succession of record-breaking and record-making achievements. But it is at Blackpool and Doncaster that the most distinct progress of the year is marked, by the daring flights of Le Blon and Latham in fierce gales. Spectators openly charged these men with foolhardiness, but it was of the first importance that it should be demonstrated that these delicately built machines can be handled safely in the most turbulent weather; and the fact that it has been done successfully will inspire every other aviator with a greater degree of confidence in his ability to control his machine in whatever untoward circumstances he may be placed. And such confidence is by far the largest element in safe and successful flying.

NOTABLE AVIATION RECORDS TO CLOSE OF 1910

December 17, 1903—Wilbur Wright with biplane, at Kitty Hawk, N. C., makes the first successful flight by man with power-propelled machine, a distance of 852 feet, in 59 seconds.

November 9, 1904—Wilbur Wright with biplane, at Dayton, O., flies 3 miles in 4 minutes and 30 seconds. (He and Orville made upward of 100 unrecorded flights in that year.)

September 26, 1905—Wilbur Wright with biplane “White Flier,” at Dayton, O., flies 11 miles in 18 minutes and 9 seconds.

September 29, 1905—Orville Wright, with “White Flier,” at Dayton, O., flies 12 miles in 19 minutes and 55 seconds.

October 3, 1905—Wilbur Wright, with “White Flier” at Dayton, O., flies 15 miles in 25 minutes and 5 seconds.

October 4, 1905—Orville Wright with biplane “White Flier,” at Dayton, O., flies 21 miles in 33 minutes and 17 seconds.

October 5, 1905—Wilbur Wright with “White Flier,” at Dayton, O., flies 24 miles in 38 minutes. (He made many unrecorded flights in that year.)

August 22, 1906—A. Santos-Dumont with biplane at Bagatelle, France, made his first public flight with an aeroplane, hardly more than rising clear of the ground.

September 14, 1906—Santos-Dumont with biplane, at Bagatelle, flies for 8 seconds.

October 24, 1906—Santos-Dumont with biplane, at Bagatelle, flies 160 feet in 4 seconds.

November 13, 1906—Santos-Dumont with biplane, at Bagatelle, flies 722 feet in 21 seconds. This feat is recorded as the first aeroplane flight made in Europe.

March 16, 1907—Leon Delagrange with first Voisin biplane, at Bagatelle, flies 30 feet.

August 6, 1907—Louis Bleriot with a Langley machine, at Issy, France, flies 470 feet.

October 15, 1907—Henry Farman with biplane, at Issy, flies 937 feet in 21 seconds.

October 19, 1907—R. Esnault-Pelterie with monoplane, at Buc, France, makes short flights.

October 26, 1907—Farman with biplane, at Issy, flies 2,529 feet in a half circle, in 52 seconds.

November 17, 1907—Santos-Dumont with biplane, at Issy, makes several short flights, the longest being about 500 feet.

November 21, 1907—Santos-Dumont with monoplane at Bagatelle, makes several short flights, the longest being about 400 feet.

January 13, 1908—Farman with biplane, at Issy, makes the first flight in a circular course—3,279 feet in 1 minute and 28 seconds.

March 12, 1908—F. W. Baldwin with biplane “Red Wing,” at Hammondsport, N. Y., flies 319 feet.

March 21, 1908—Farman with biplane, at Issy, flies 1.24 miles in 3 minutes and 31 seconds.

March 29, 1908—Delagrange with biplane, at Ghent, Belgium, makes first recorded flight with one passenger (Farman), 453 feet.

April 11, 1908—Delagrange with biplane at Issy, flies 2.43 miles in 6 minutes and 30 seconds, winning the Archdeacon cup.

May 18, 1908—J. A. D. McCurdy with biplane “White Wing” at Hammondsport, flies 600 feet.

May 27, 1908—Delagrange with biplane, at Rome, in the presence of the King of Italy, flies 7.9 miles in 15 minutes and 25 seconds.

May 30, 1908—Farman with biplane, at Ghent, flies 0.77 miles with one passenger (Mr. Archdeacon).

June 8, 1908—Esnault-Pelterie with monoplane, at Buc, flies 0.75 miles, reaching an altitude of 100 feet.

June 22, 1908—Delagrange with biplane, at Milan, Italy, flies 10.5 miles in 16 minutes and 30 seconds.

July 4, 1908—Glenn H. Curtiss with biplane, at Hammondsport, flies 5,090 feet, in 1 minute and 42 seconds, winning Scientific American cup.

July 4, 1908—Bleriot with monoplane, at Issy, flies 3.7 miles in 5 minutes and 47 seconds, making several circles.

July 6, 1908—Farman in biplane, at Ghent, flies 12.2 miles in 19 minutes and 3 seconds, winning the Armengand prize.

July 8, 1908—Delagrange with biplane, at Turin, Italy, flies 500 feet with the first woman passenger ever carried on an aeroplane—Mrs. Peltier.

August 9, 1908—Wilbur Wright with biplane, at Le Mans, France, makes several short flights to prove the ease of control of his machine.

August 8, 1908—L. F. Ferber with biplane, at Issy, makes first trial flights.

September 6, 1908—Delagrange with biplane, at Issy, flies 15.2 miles in 29 minutes and 52 seconds, beating existing French records.

September 8, 1908—Orville Wright with biplane, at Fort Myer, Va., flies 40 miles in 1 hour and 2 minutes, rising to 100 feet.

September 9, 10, 11, 1908—Orville Wright with biplane, at Fort Myer, makes several flights, increasing in duration from 57 minutes to 1 hour ten minutes and 24 seconds.

September 12, 1908—Orville Wright with biplane, at Fort Myer, flies 50 miles in 1 hour, 14 minutes and 20 seconds, the longest flight on record.

September 12, 1908—Orville Wright with biplane, at Fort Myer, flies for 9 minutes and 6 seconds with one passenger (Major Squier), making a new record.

September 17, 1908—Orville Wright with biplane, at Fort Myer, flies 3 miles in 4 minutes, with Lieutenant Selfridge. The machine fell: Selfridge was killed and Wright severely injured.

September 19, 1908—L. F. Ferber with biplane, at Issy, flies 1,640 feet.

September 21, 1908—Wilbur Wright with biplane, at Auvours, flies 41 miles in 1 hour and 31 minutes.

September 25, 1908—Wilbur Wright with biplane, at Le Mans, France, flies 11 minutes and 35 seconds, with one passenger, making a new record.

October 3, 1908—Wilbur Wright with biplane, at Le Mans, France, flies 55 minutes and 37 seconds, with one passenger, making new record.

October 6, 1908—Wilbur Wright with biplane, at Le Mans, flies 1 hour 4 minutes and 26 seconds, with one passenger, breaking all records.

October 10, 1908—Wilbur Wright with biplane, at Auvours, flies 46 miles in 1 hour and 9 minutes, with one passenger (Mr. Painleve). Also carried 35 others on different trips, one at a time.

October 21, 1908—Bleriot with monoplane, at Toury, France, flies 4.25 miles in 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

October 30, 1908—Farman with biplane at Chalons, France, makes a flight across country to Rheims—17 miles in 20 minutes.

October 31, 1908—Farman with biplane, at Chalons, flies 23 minutes, reaching a height of 82 feet.

October 31, 1908—Bleriot with monoplane, at Toury, flies 8.7 miles to Artenay, in 11 minutes, lands, and returns to Toury.

December 18, 1908—Wilbur Wright with biplane, at Auvours, flies 62 miles in 1 hour and 54 minutes, rising to 360 feet—making a world record.

December 31, 1908—Wilbur Wright with biplane, at Le Mans, flies 76.5 miles in 2 hours 18 minutes and 53 seconds, making a new world record, and winning the Michelin prize. The distance traversed (unofficial) is claimed to have been actually over 100 miles.

January 28, 1909—Moore-Brabazon with biplane, at Chalons, flies 3.1 miles, in practice with a Voison machine.

February 14, 1909—Legagneux with biplane, at Mourmelon, France, flies 1.2 miles, and in a second flight of 6.2 miles (10 kilometres), traces two circles.

February 22, 1909—S. F. Cody with biplane, at Aldershot, England, flies 1,200 feet in a 12-mile wind.

February 23, 1909—J. A. D. McCurdy, with the biplane “Silver Dart,” at Baddeck, Cape Breton, flies 2,640 feet.

February 24, 1909—McCurdy, with the biplane “Silver Dart,” at Baddeck, flies 4.5 miles.

February 24, 1909—Moore-Brabazon, with biplane, at Issy, flies 1.2 miles, tracing two circles.

February 28, 1909—Moore-Brabazon made several flights at Issy.

March 8, 1909—McCurdy, with biplane “Silver Dart,” at Baddeck, made five flights, the longest about 8 miles in 11 minutes and 15 seconds.

March 10, 1909—Santos-Dumont, with monoplane “Libellule,” at Bagatelle, flies 1,300 feet.

March 11, 1909—W. J. Richardson with a new form of aeroplane, at Dayton, O., flies for 38 minutes, rising to a height of over 300 feet.

March 11, 1909—McCurdy with biplane “Silver Dart,” at Baddeck, flies 19 miles in 22 minutes.

March 17, 1909—Count de Lambert (pupil of Wilbur Wright) made his first flight alone in biplane, at Pau, France. He remained in the air 3 minutes.

March 18, 1909—McCurdy, with biplane “Silver Dart,” at Baddeck, flies 16 miles, completing a record of an even 1,000 miles in the air within a period of 10 months.

March 18, 1909—F. W. Baldwin with biplane “Silver Dart,” at Baddeck, made a short flight.

March 20, 1909—Wilbur Wright, with biplane, at Pau, succeeds in rising from the ground without the starting device previously used. He makes several flights.

March 24, 1909—Count de Lambert with biplane, at Pau, flies 15.6 miles in 27 minutes and 11 seconds.

April 10, 1909—Santos-Dumont with monoplane “Demoiselle,” at St. Cyr, France, flies 1.2 miles.

April 13, 1909—Count de Lambert with biplane, at Pau, flies for 1 minute and 30 seconds, with one passenger (Leon Delagrange).

April 16, 1909—Wilbur Wright with biplane, at Rome, Italy, made many flights, taking up many passengers, one at a time.

April 27, 1909—Legagneux with Voisin biplane, at Vienna, flies 2.5 miles in 3 minutes and 26 seconds.

April 28, 1909—Lieutenant Mario Calderara (pupil of Wilbur Wright) with biplane, at Rome, made his first public flight, remaining in the air 10 minutes.

April 30, 1909—Moore-Brabazon with biplane, in England, flies 4.5 miles.

May 14, 1909—S. F. Cody, with the army biplane, at Aldershot, flies 1 mile.

May 19, 1909—Hubert Latham, with Antoinette monoplane, at Chalons, flies 1,640 feet.

May 20, 1909—Paul Tissandier (pupil of Wilbur Wright) with biplane at Pau, flies 35.7 miles.

May 23, 1909—Delagrange, with biplane, at Juvissy, flies 3.6 miles in 10 minutes and 18 seconds, winning the Lagatineri prize.

May 23, 1909—Henri Rougier, with biplane, at Juvissy, flies 18.6 miles (30 kilometres).

May 30, 1909—Bleriot, with monoplane at Issy, flies 8.7 miles.

June 5, 1909—Latham, with monoplane, at Chalons, flies for 1 hour 7 minutes and 37 seconds in wind and rain.

June 6, 1909—Latham, with monoplane, at Juvissy, flies 10 miles across country.

June 12, 1909—Latham, with monoplane, at Juvissy, flies 30 miles in 39 minutes, winning the Goupy prize.

June 12, 1909—Delagrange, with biplane, at Juvissy, makes cross country flight of 3.7 miles.

June 12, 1909—Bleriot, with monoplane, at Juvissy, flies 984 feet, with two passengers—Santos-Dumont and Fournier.

June 13 1909—Ferber, with Voisin biplane, at Juvissy, flies 3.1 miles in 5 minutes and 30 seconds.

June 19, 1909—Santos-Dumont, with monoplane, at Issy, makes several flights.

July 4, 1909—Roger Sommer with biplane, at Chalons, flies 3.75 miles on Farman machine.

July 10, 1909—Louis Paulhan, with biplane, at Douai, France, makes his first flight—1.25 miles.

July 13, 1909—Curtiss, with biplane, at Mineola, L. I., flies 1.5 miles in 3 minutes.

July 13, 1909—Bleriot, with monoplane, at Mondesir, makes a flight of 26 miles across country in 44 minutes and 30 seconds.

July 15, 1909—Paulhan with biplane, at Douai, flies for 1 minute and 17 seconds, soaring to an altitude of 357 feet.

July 17, 1909—Orville Wright, with biplane, at Fort Myer, flies 16 minutes and 40 seconds, at a speed of 40 miles an hour.

July 17, 1909—Curtiss, with biplane, at Mineola, makes 15 miles in 21 minutes, describing circles in both directions, as in the figure 8.

July 18, 1909—Curtiss, with biplane, at Hempstead Plains, L. I., flies 29½ miles in 52 minutes and 30 seconds, a flight exceeded only by the Wrights, in America, and Bleriot, Latham, and Paulhan, in Europe.

July 18, 1909—Farman, with biplane, at Chalons, flies for 1 hour and 23 minutes, making his first long flight.

July 18, 1909—Sommer, with biplane, at Chalons, makes his longest flight—1 hour and 40 minutes.

July 19, 1909—Latham, with monoplane, at Calais, France, makes his first attempt to cross the Channel to Dover. He flies 11 miles, and then his machine falls into the sea.

July 19, 1909—Paulhan, with biplane, at Douai, makes a cross-country flight of 12.1 miles in 22 minutes and 53 seconds.

July 20, 1909—Orville Wright, with biplane, at Fort Myer, flies 1 hour and 20 minutes.

July 21, 1909—Orville Wright, with biplane, at Fort Myer, flies 1 hour and 29 minutes.

July 21, 1909—E. Lefebvre, with biplane, at La Haye, France, flies 2 miles.

July 21, 1909—S. F. Cody, with biplane, at Aldershot, flies 4 miles.

July 23, 1909—Farman, with biplane, at Chalons, makes a cross-country flight to Suippes—40 miles in 1 hour and five minutes.

July 23, 1909—Paulhan, with biplane, at Douai, flies 43.5 miles in 1 hour 17 minutes and 19 seconds.

July 24, 1909—Curtiss in biplane, at Hempstead Plains, flies 25 miles in 52 minutes and 30 seconds, winning the Scientific American cup the second time.

July 25, 1909—Bleriot, with monoplane, at Calais, flies to Dover, England, across the English Channel—32 miles in 37 minutes.

July 27, 1909—Orville Wright, with biplane, at Fort Myer, flies 1 hour and 13 minutes, with one passenger, securing acceptance of Wright machine by U. S. Government on the duration specifications.

July 27, 1909—Latham, with monoplane, at Calais, flies 20 miles in a second attempt to cross the English Channel. When near Dover the machine fell.

July 27, 1909—Sommer, with biplane, at Chalons, flies to Vadenay and back—25 miles in 1 hour 23 minutes and 30 seconds.

July 30, 1909—Orville Wright, with biplane, at Fort Myer, established a world record with one passenger in a cross-country flight to Shuter’s Hill and back—about 10 miles in 14 minutes and 40 seconds, a speed of about 42 miles an hour—winning a bonus of $25,000 from the U. S. Government.

August 1, 1909—Sommer, with biplane, at Chalons, flies 1 hour 50 minutes and 30 seconds, at an average height of 80 feet, over a distance estimated at 70 miles, surpassing all French records.

August 2, 1909—McCurdy, with a new type of machine, at Petawawa, makes several flights.

August 2, 1909—F. W. Baldwin, with biplane, at Petawawa, makes several short flights.

August 2, 1909—Sommer, with biplane, at Chalons, flies to Suippes—9 miles, at the rate of 45 miles an hour.

August 4, 1909—Sommer, with biplane, at Chalons, in the effort to beat Wilbur Wright’s record, flies for 2 hours 0 minutes and 10 seconds (Wright’s record flight was 2 hours 20 minutes and 23 seconds, made on December 31, 1908).

August 5, 1909—E. Bunau-Varilla, with Voisin biplane, at Chalons, flies for 15 minutes.

August 6, 1909—Legagneux, with biplane, at Stockholm, flies with one passenger, 3,280 feet.

August 6, 1909—Paulhan, with biplane, at Dunkerque, France, flies for 18 minutes and 20 seconds, reaching an altitude of 200 feet.

August 7, 1909—Paulhan, with Voisin biplane, at Dunkerque, flies 23 miles in 33 minutes.

August 7, 1909—Sommer, with Voisin biplane, at Chalons, flies for 2 hours 27 minutes and 15 seconds, making new world record for duration.

August 13, 1909—Charles F. Willard, with biplane, at Hempstead Plains, made the longest cross-country flight on record for America—about 12 miles in 19 minutes and 30 seconds. The breaking of his engine caused him to come down. He landed without mishap.

August 22, 1909—Sommer, with biplane, at Rheims, France, flies 1 hour 19 minutes and 30 seconds.

August 22, 1909—Legagneux, with biplane, at Rheims, flies 6.2 miles in 9 minutes and 56 seconds, winning third prize for speed over course of 10 kilometres.

August 22, 1909—Tissandier, with biplane, at Rheims, flies 18.6 miles in 29 minutes. (He won with this record the third prize for speed over 30 kilometres.)

August 22, 1909—E. Bunau-Varilla, with biplane, at Rheims, flies 6.2 miles in 13 minutes and 30 seconds. (With this record he won the thirteenth prize for speed over course of 10 kilometres.)

August 23, 1909—Delagrange, with monoplane, at Rheims, flies 6.2 miles in 11 minutes and 4 seconds. (He won the tenth prize for speed over 10 kilometres.)

August 23, 1909—Curtiss, with biplane, at Rheims, flies 6.2 miles in 8 minutes and 35 seconds—a speed of 42.3 miles an hour—beating the record for speed over course of 10 kilometres.

August 23, 1909—Paulhan, with biplane, at Rheims, flies 18.6 miles in 38 minutes and 12 seconds, reaching an altitude of 295 feet.

August 23, 1909—Paulhan, with biplane, at Rheims, flies 34.8 miles in an endurance test.

August 25, 1909—Paulhan, with biplane, at Rheims, flies 82 miles in 2 hours 43 minutes and 25 seconds. (With this record he won the third prize for duration of flight.)

August 25, 1909—Curtiss, with biplane, at Rheims, flies 6.2 miles in 8 minutes and 44 seconds, again reducing the time for 10 kilometres.

August 25, 1909—Bleriot, with monoplane, at Rheims, flies 6.2 miles in 8 minutes and 4 seconds, making a new record for speed over the course of 10 kilometres.

August 26, 1909—Curtiss, in biplane, at Rheims, flies 19 miles in 29 minutes. (With this record he won the tenth prize for duration of flight.)

August 26, 1909—Count de Lambert, with biplane, at Rheims, flies 72 miles in 1 hour and 52 minutes. (With this record he won the fourth prize for duration of flight.)

August 26, 1909—Latham, with monoplane, at Rheims, flies 96.5 miles in 2 hours 17 minutes and 21 seconds. (With this record he won the second prize for duration of flight.)

August 27, 1909—Farman, with biplane, at Rheims, flies 112 miles in 3 hours 4 minutes and 57 seconds. (This record won for him the first prize for duration of flight.)