On This Day in Aviation History: The Wright Flyer Lifts Off, an Iconic Craft is Born, and a Record-Setting Giant Takes to the Skies.
On this day, Dec. 17th, in 1903, the Wright Brothers made the first sustained flight in human history, lifting off at 10:35 AM in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The Wright Flyer flew 120 feet in 12 seconds on that first flight, and the brothers flew several more times that day, with the longest flight being 852 feet in 59 seconds. It was that first, small step, that propelled humanity into an age of great possibilities never before fathomed in the mind of man. Today marks 122 years since that first milestone.
Today also marks 90 years since the first flight of the Douglas DST aircraft in 1935. The DST would later evolve into the iconic DC-3, which would come to be known as the backbone of aviation, with its dependability and ruggedness sending it on missions through the most unforgiving territory on the planet. As a testament to its incredible durability, nearly 200 DC-3s are still operational today.
And last but definitely not least, today marks 62 years since the first flight of the legendary Lockheed C-141 "Starlifter". The revolutionary airlifter was the US Air Force's first large transport aircraft to run exclusively on jet power. But this was only the beginning. Over its storied service life, the massive aircraft made history, set records, and flew better than any plane of its type in its time.
Today is arguably the most important day in aviation history. It's incredible to see how aviation has grown since that first flight, and the amazing birds that felt the air for the first time on the same day as that first great leap.
