Subsonic Flight

Subsonic flight started in August of 1900, Wilbur Wright built his first glider testing it at Kitty Hawk, off the coast of North Carolina. After building a wind tunnel the next year and studying wing shapes, in 1902 they met with a new record, gliding 620 feet. Building a four-cylinder, 12 horsepower engine and adding it to the glider they once

again went back to Kitty Hawk.
       On December 17, 1903, Wilbur Wright tried to pilot the new machine but stalled on take off. Just like brothers would have to do, they flipped a coin to see who had the next try at the machine. Orville won. At 10:35 a.m. he made history, the first heavier-than-air, machine-powered flight. He covered 120 feet and was in the air for only 12 seconds, but those twelve seconds brought around a whole new rein of technology and experimentation.

Now with less than $30,000 (US) and a pilots license you can be flying yourself and five friends across the world in your own plane. Flight travel has changed the world. Rather than sailing across the ocean, which would take months or years, planes can take you there in only hours or less.