Online Class Notes (Nemo)

Taking Flight With the Wright Brothers

It’s a chilly, breezy day in December 1903. Wilbur Wright stands on the beach in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, staring at the sky above him. Soaring overhead in an airplane is his brother Orville—he’s in the middle of the world’s first successful piloted engine-powered airplane flight.

Today the Wright brothers are remembered as innovative engineers, and their history-making flight inspired generations of future fliers.

The Wright brothers were interested in flying from a young age. As children in Dayton, Ohio, their favorite toy was a small helicopter-like object that was powered by a rubber band to twirl its blades. Fascinated by the toy and its mechanics, the brothers hoped to one day build a flying machine big enough to hold them both.

As young men, the brothers went into business together, first operating a printing press, then a bicycle repair shop. Eventually the duo began selling their own custom-made bicycles to customers.

But the brothers never lost their love of flying. At the time, other aircrafts such as gliders—or aircrafts without engines—did exist, but the Wrights wanted to add more power to the objects they were flying. In 1899 the brothers began experimenting with building their own aircrafts.

UP, UP, AND AWAY
In 1900 the brothers traveled from Ohio to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to begin their flight experiments. The oceanside dunes at Kitty Hawk had regular breezes and soft, sandy landing surfaces—perfect for their studies.

The brothers first conducted tests with kites before experimenting with gliders. Both Orville and Wilbur separately piloted the gliders during their testing process.

In 1903 the brothers built an airplane called the Wright Flyer I, which featured wooden propellers the men had designed and carved themselves. The plane also had a gasoline engine.

After weeks of unsuccessful attempts, the craft—with extra fabric incorporated to increase the stiffness of the wings—took flight for 12 seconds on December 17, 1903, traveling 120 feet before landing. The plane worked! Both brothers flew the craft a few more times that day. They had flown the world’s first successful piloted engine-powered airplane.

WINGS OF CHANGE
After their success in North Carolina, the Wright brothers continued to travel around the world, perfecting their craft and modifying their designs. But they did so much more, kicking off the era of modern aviation and inspiring future adventurers.

The decades following Kitty Hawk were filled with accomplishments in aviation, including the first solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean and the first passenger flight. And, of course, flight didn’t just stay in this world—a little over 65 years after the Wrights’ famous first flight, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. The Wright brothers didn’t just fly the first piloted engine-powered airplane—they created a whole new way for us to explore our world.

It’s a chilly, breezy day in December 1903. Wilbur Wright stands on the beach in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, staring at the sky above him. Soaring overhead in an airplane is his brother Orville—he’s in the middle of the world’s first successful piloted engine-powered airplane flight.

Today the Wright brothers are remembered as innovative engineers, and their history-making flight inspired generations of future fliers.

GROWING UP WRIGHT
The Wright brothers were interested in flying from a young age. As children in Dayton, Ohio, their favorite toy was a small helicopter-like object that was powered by a rubber band to twirl its blades. Fascinated by the toy and its mechanics, the brothers hoped to one day build a flying machine big enough to hold them both.

As young men, the brothers went into business together, first operating a printing press, then a bicycle repair shop. Eventually the duo began selling their own custom-made bicycles to customers.

But the brothers never lost their love of flying. At the time, other aircrafts such as gliders—or aircrafts without engines—did exist, but the Wrights wanted to add more power to the objects they were flying. In 1899 the brothers began experimenting with building their own aircrafts.

Vocabulary

take place-to happen
发生
The concert takes place next Thursday.
音乐会下星期四举行。

go-kart (n): a small, low car used for racing, or a toy car that you operate with your feet

微型赛车；（用脚蹬着走的）玩具车

North Carolina /ˌnɔːrθ ker.əˈlaɪ.nə/

1903 nineteen O three

soaring adjective (FLYING)
rising high in the air while flying without moving the wings or using power展翅翱翔的
It is a mysterious region of castles and soaring eagles.
这是一个有着城堡和展翅翱翔的雄鹰的神秘地区。
His spare time is spent in soaring gliders.
他把空闲时间花在驾驶滑翔机飞行上。

dune (n): a hill of sand near a beach or in a desert
（海滩或沙漠的）沙丘

hint noun (INDIRECT STATEMENT)something that you say or do that shows what you think or want, usually in a way that is not direct
暗示，提示，示意
He’s dropped (= given) several hints to the boss that he’ll quit if he doesn’t get a promotion.
他已经向老板暗示了好几次，如果不获得升职他就会辞职。
Did she give you any hints about where she was going?
她有没有向你暗示过她要去哪里呢？
You can’t take (= understand) a hint, can you? Just go away and leave me alone!
你就是听不懂暗示，对不对？滚开，不要烦我！