The Dream Of Flight Becomes A Reality

This is a model of the Wright Flyer I, which was one of the Wright designs that laid the groundwork for their first powered flight.

 

Here we have a model of the hot air balloon built by the Montgolfier brothers.

This is the engine of the original Silver Dart, a plane which made the first flight in Canada at Baddeck Bay on February 23rd, 1909. 

A reproduction of the Silver Dart is mounted overhead, slowly turning. It was built to celebrate the 50th anniversary of that first flight.

The Aerial Experiment Association was behind the Silver Dart project, headed by Alexander Graham Bell and his wife Mabel.

Here we have another early plane. The Bleriot X1 is a French plane.

The new technology captured the imaginations of society, and air shows were started as a way to demonstrate powered flight.

Here we see the Borel-Morane, dating to 1910, another French plane.

But putting aircraft to practical use? That was yet to be seen, and a war right around the corner would provide the opportunity.