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An historic day - 100 years of flight |
masseur
Joined: Jan 03, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Sydney, London
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As an avid aviation enthusiast first inspired by a cockpit visit in a Boeing 707 from Melbourne to London and back when aged 2 1/2, and now a private pilot with several hundred hours time logged in single and multi engine aircraft with various ratings and endorsements up to CPL I would like to commemorate here the 100th anniversary of powered flight.
It was 17th December 1903 that Orville Wright was airborne in his and his brother Wilburs Flyer for 12 seconds flying 30 metres and when I look back at everything that has been achieved in flight over that last 100 years it just makes me sit back in awe. Jets, helicopters, supersonic flight, space flight etc.
It also makes me wonder what the next 100 years will bring us?
(picture taken from BBC site)
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judge
Joined: May 21, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Romania
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I've seen on the news and on Discovery that there have been quite a few attempts to replicate and pilot their flyer, some of them ment to fly on this day to honor the Wrights' historical achievement. All or most of them failed gloriously. Makes you think, doesn't it? Per aspera ad astra
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anish
Joined: Jul 19, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: India / England
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@masseur
I was planning to make this thread today but was too busy looking for playtime  . Any way well done
Knowledge is two fold. Knowing a subject or knowing where to find out about a subject. I rely on both... That is why I come here.  |
morbodestroys
Joined: Sep 25, 2003
Posts: 161
From: Sydney
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I read somewhere that they are trying to replicate the same flight in a few hrs time?
Not too sure though, Im not that in touch of reality... 
Sidenote: So sad that the Concordes went bye bye. No more supersonic travels. Just stupid stupid 747s, 777s, and A380s. No more dreams, just profitable mass transports.  |
*Jojo*
Joined: Oct 15, 2003
Posts: > 500
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@masseur- what a credential you have there ?!! Must be really a jack-of-all-trades. The discovery of the Wright Bros. to attempt to fly the very first plane was really a tremendous achievement for the human mankind, very comparable to that when US astronauts first landed on the moon -w/c to some, was just a 'fake' attraction, the entire scene was shot at Universal Studios. Russia and the US are really fighting close at each other to see who really dominate the space in the 50's, so the US made that 'mock' trip to the moon as to show that they conquered it 1st. This was "also" seen as being previewed at Discovery Channel. Back to the first flight, there were sayings at those era that the Wright Bros - Orville & Wilbur could have been totally doomed had the Wright Bros. met the Wrong sisters ??? |
gzumba
Joined: Feb 04, 2003
Posts: 146
From: New York, NY, USA
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100 years! How the world has changed. I checked the telephone: 127 years old. Here is another invention that continues to progress daily while aviation has not made major changes in 25 years.
Where would we be without either of these inventions that shrunk the size of the world?
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Cycovision
Joined: Nov 30, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: England
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There was a TV programme shown in the UK a few days ago, 'Scrapheap Challenge Mega Challenge'
Three teams from the UK, France and USA had to build a manned, powered aircraft using only the materials and tools that would have been available in 1903, with the exception of the engine, fuel tank, fuel lines and the canvas used to cover the wings, which were made from modern materials for safety reasons.
The UK team built a plane that was very similar to the wright flyer, except that it had a slightly different tail. It flew like a bird!
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kelan
Joined: Mar 12, 2003
Posts: 13
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Hello! It was nice from you to remember to the 100 years anniversary. :-) I love flying! Im a sailplanepilot from Hungary and want to be an airline pilot in the future. Take care birdbrothers!
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djpowelly
Joined: Jun 07, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: The UK!
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To celibrate, at school 2day, we had a paper aeroplane flying compitition. I can 5th, 14 metres 19 cm. I'm pleased!!! |
judge
Joined: May 21, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Romania
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I have also seen that show on Discovery. The Brits' plane was most impressive - it flew with ease and at an outstanding altitude for a plane made from scrap (except for the engines which were new because of FAA regulations). Great show!
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gelfen
Joined: Nov 22, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Melbourne, Australia
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yes there was an attempt to replicate the Wright Brothers' achievement - which unfortunately failed. you can see the Reuters report here:
Wright brothers reenactment flops in the mud
still, nothing beats the annual Birdman Rally here in Melbourne. 
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Fingers
Joined: Jan 29, 2002
Posts: 468
From: New Zealand
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It's hotly contested way down here that some Kiwi called Richard Pierce was the first to fly, believe it if you want, it would be nice, but why wasn't it better documented if it really did happen.
@Masseur, I flew the Air New Zealand 737-300 simulator a few months ago as part of my engineering rating on the type, what a blast. If it was real I'm sure the landing gear would've been a bit shorter after my landing, pretty heavy, gotta love that autoland button!! |
gelfen
Joined: Nov 22, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Melbourne, Australia
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Quote:
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On 2003-12-18 04:35:30, Fingers wrote:
It's hotly contested way down here that some Kiwi called Richard Pierce was the first to fly, believe it if you want, it would be nice, but why wasn't it better documented if it really did happen.
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perhaps because it didn't?
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pachy
Joined: Nov 05, 2002
Posts: > 500
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Free day in London ???
"100 years of Powered Flight"
Science museum, South Kensington, London.
Note,
(Absolutly NO bluekacking) 
Reminder; milk, sugar, crisps, post letter. |
*Jojo*
Joined: Oct 15, 2003
Posts: > 500
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I've watched the CNN/BBC report last night about the re-enactment made to commemorate the Wright Bros. discovery of the airplane's first 12 seconds flight at Kittyhawk, North Carolina. The weather was not that cooperative-rainy indeed, lucky for the spactators to come in with their raingears. The site and protagonist donned an exact replica that transpired a 100 years back, though when it was time to let go of the plane, it runned for a couple of meters and got stuck in the mud !!! Well, anyway, the crowds expectations did not do forlorn, 'cause George W. Bush and John Travolta were just some of the honorary guests . . .
[ This Message was edited by: jojo51069 on 2003-12-18 11:44 ] |
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Posted: 2003-12-17 09:09
