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The following are some notable early flights, some to meet predifined criteria, others purely as the first of their kind or representing a significant progressive step.
Such a list is selective ... and more will be added in due course.
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Aviator |
Nationality |
Aeroplane |
kms/hr (mph) |
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| 17 December 1903 |
First flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina |
120 feet |
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Orville Wright |
American |
Wright Flyer |
- |
| 23 October 1906 |
First flight in Europe |
60 metres |
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Alberto Santos-Dumont |
Brazilian |
Santos-Dumont No 14 bis |
- |
| 13 January 1908 |
Deutsch-Archdeacon Grand Prix d'Aviation for first official circular flight of one kilometre |
1.5 (1) |
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Henri Farman |
French |
Voisin-Farman I (modified) |
- |
| 4 July 1908 |
Scientific American Trophy for first official flight of one kilometre in America |
6,000 feet |
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Glenn Curtiss |
American |
Curtiss 'June Bug' |
- |
| 30 October 1908 |
First cross-country flight from Bouy to Reims |
27(17 ) |
| |
Henri Farman |
French |
Voisin-Farman I bis |
75 (47 ) |
| 25 July 1909 |
Daily Mail First flight across English Channel |
34 (21) |
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Louis Blériot |
French |
Bleriot XI monoplane |
56.6 (35) |
| 4 November 1909 |
'Pigs Might Fly' - pig's first heavier-then-air flight |
- |
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John Moore-Brabazon |
British |
Voisin 'Bird of Passage' |
- |
| 27 - 28 April 1910 |
Daily Mail London to Manchester flight |
298 (185) |
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Louis Paulhan |
French |
Henri Farman III biplane |
74.4 (46.2) |
| 29 May 1910 |
New York World Albany to New York |
241 (150) |
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Glenn Curtiss |
American |
Curtiss 'Albany Flier' |
87.8 (54.5) |
| 14 November 1910 |
First take-off from a ship, USS Birmingham |
- |
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Eugene Ely |
American |
Curtiss 'Albany Flier' |
- |
| 18 December 1910 |
Baron de Forest prize, to Thirimont in Belgium |
272 (169) |
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Tom Sopwith |
British |
Howard Wright biplane |
77.7 (48.3) |
| 18 January 1911 |
First landing on a ship, USS Pennsylvania |
- |
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Eugene Ely |
American |
Curtiss Model D-IV |
- |
17 September -
5 November 1911 |
First flight from Atlantic Ocean to Pacific Ocean, but failing to win Hearst Trophy |
6,810 (4,231) |
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Cal Rodgers |
American |
Wright EX biplane |
- |
| 14 - 25 August 1911 |
St Louis to New York |
2,036 (1,265) |
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Harry Atwood |
American |
Burgess-Wright Model F |
- |
| 23 September 1913 |
Nonstop flight across Mediterranean Sea from St Raphael in France to Bizerte in Tunisia |
725 (451) |
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Roland Garros |
French |
Morane-Saulnier Model H |
90 (56) |
| 1 January 1914 |
First scheduled commercial flight, from St Petersburg to Tampa in Florida |
27.3 (17) |
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Tony Jannus |
American |
Benoist flying boat |
71.4 (44.3) |
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Website Design by Peter Roe
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