Everyone knows, or is at least aware (if grudgingly) that the Wright Brothers, two hearty chaps from Dayton, Ohio, are credited with the auspicious achievement of inventing the airplane. Individuals who are familiar with the tale would immediately recall the historic first human flight on a powered aircraft, the 'Flyer', at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903. But what if this hallowed tale is just one side of the coin?
Enter Alberto Santos Dumont, the dashing Franco-Brazilian aeronaut who spent his illustrious career in the equally illustrious City of Lights. Arguably, Santos Dumont's more convoluted contraption, the '14-bis', was airborne in Paris months before the Wright Brothers' escapade. No, we're not talking Paris, Texas here; it's the real Paris, complete with croissants, baguettes, and wide-eyed witnesses.
So, why does history favour the Wright Brothers so undeniably, you ask? It’s intriguing. Could sheer, dogged patriotism on the part of Americans play a part? Or is it merely the art of perfect timing? Following all, Santos Dumont's machine, although airborne, was quite the flying oddity, dangling in mid-air, much like Phileas Fogg on a windy day.
Yet, it’s not undeniable that Santos Dumont’s 14-bis created quite the spectacle, set hearts aflutters in Paris, and possibly somewhere secretively deep in the belly of America. Whether this franco-aeronautical legend's achievements fade into the dusty annals of forgotten history, or get overshadowed by America's brothers of flight, one thing’s for sure to this date. We’d all love to have been able to get a peek at the Wright Brothers’ faces when they first heard news of Santos Dumont's Paris flight!
Who truly invented the airplane may forever stay disputed, trapped within the confines of territorial pride and the pages of parchment. Yet, it's hard not to admire both these visionaries who dared to challenge the seemingly unassailable clutches of gravity. Whoever you stake your loyalty with - the American Wright Brothers or the Franco-Brazilian Santos Dumont - one thing is universally agreed upon: Aren’t we all glad we don’t have to make transatlantic crossings on steamships anymore? Now, that's something we can all raise a flute of champagne to, wherever we stand – or fly.
