The Airplane

In 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright flew the first airplane in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The brothers, who were bicycle makers, designed and flew the machine themselves, and powered their creation with the internal combustion engine. The plane stayed in the air for only a few seconds, as it was weak and shaky. The Wright brothers' first flight was the start of the popularity of airplanes. Their seconds-long voyage was the beginning of modern transportation and warfare methods, not to mention the careers and dreams of many young pilots.
One such pilot was Charles Lindbergh, a talented pilot, mechanic, and barnstormer. He heard of a $25,000 offer to the first pilot to fly from New York to Paris nonstop, and he decided that he was up to the challenge. He carefully planned his voyage, and departed solo on May 19, 1927, from Long Island in a custom-designed, one-engine plane called "Spirit of St. Louis." He arrived in Paris on May 20, 1927, as the nation's newest hero. His ...