For Jane's, Gustav Weißkopf's 1901 Liftoff Displaces Wright Bros.

gentryx writes "Newly found evidence supports earlier claims that Gustave Whitehead (a German immigrant, born Gustav Weißkopf, with Whitehead being the literal translation of Weißkopf) performed the first powered, controlled, heavier-than-air flight as early as 1901-08-14 — more than two years before the Wrights took off. A reconstructed image shows him mid-flight. A detailed analysis of said photo can be found here. Apparently the results are convincing enough that even Jane's chimes in. His plane is also better looking than the Wright Flyer I." (And when it comes to displacing the Wright brothers, don't forget Alberto Santos Dumont.)

Still earlier flight in 1873

[Grayhand]

When Cletus Leadbetter's whiskey still exploded in October 17 1893 it's said he flew a half mile and was able to control his flight by flapping his coat. They are still debating whether his coat flapping was to control his flight or to put out his burning backside.

Re:Another first?

[flyneye]

Well, shieße! you learn something new everyday.

Re:Earliest powered heavier than air maybe...

[fustakrakich]

Anybody can land. The good ones can land twice.

Re:Another first?

[Anonymous Coward]

die FR1ßT POßTEN!

Re:What?

[painandgreed]

Then please explain the 85 newspaper articles from the time which all agree that Whitehead flew many times in 1901/1902.

True enough. I have a stack of World Weekly News and Paranoia! Magazine that support those findings.

It's absolutely true

[paiute]

Few people know that when Columbus reached Hispaniola he couldn't get a berth because the harbor was filled with Vikings, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Chinese, etc.

And the Wright brothers couldn't get clearance from the tower due to all the other aviators being in the air already.

Re:What?

[Farmer Tim]

Many people actually did get off the ground in the first decade of the 21st century.

Be fair, the TSA wasn't quite that strict last decade.