A Wright Brother
Flies in France
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A French Ally
Léon Bollée, the photographer
of these stunning images, was one of Wilbur’s
first passengers. The crowd gasped in astonishment
as the plane rose from the ground carrying
the bulky Bollée, who weighed 240
pounds! A French inventor, automobile manufacturer
and entrepreneur, Bollée was also
an avid aviation enthusiast. He had initially
contacted the Wrights about giving a flying
demonstration in France and became close
friends with Wilbur when he came to town.
He even let Wilbur assemble the plane inside
his automobile factory.
Wright biographer Fred Howard says that
if Wilbur and Orville’s first flight
in December 1903 could be compared to the
launching of the first earth satellite in
1957, then Wilbur’s public demonstrations
of 1908 were like the first moon landing
in 1969. As a result of these highly publicized
demonstration flights, the Wrights were acclaimed
as geniuses and hailed as heroes—first
in Europe and finally back home—five
years after their initial successful flight.
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