Orville Wright - biography.

Orville Wright - biography. American aviation pioneer and aeronautical engineer Birth August 19, 1871 Death January 30, 1948 Place of Dayton, Ohio Birth Known as Coinventor of the airplane, and the first person to fly a powered machine Milestones 1899 With his brother, Wilbur, built a glider that had independent controls for twisting the ends of the wings--the forerunners of ailerons, used to control rolling and banking 1900 With his brother constructed a glider that could carry a pilot 1901 Constructed a wind tunnel with his brother and tested about 200 wing designs December 17, 1903 Became the first person to fly a powered aircraft, staying in the air for 12 seconds at Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina 1905 Offered the airplane to the U.S. War Department, and was declined 1906 Obtained a patent for the airplane with his brother 1908 Completed the first airplane for the U.S. Army; it crashed, and an identical craft was tested and accepted in 1909 1909 Established the Wright Company with his brother to manufacture airplanes 1915 Sold his interest in the airplane manufacturing company Did You When the Civil Aeronautics Authority was established, Orville received Honorary Pilot Certificate # 1 in 1940. Know Orville never graduated from high school. Orville and Wilbur designed and sold bicycles for a living before their invention gained recognition. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.