Best of: Aviation Pioneers

Five classic the History Guy episodes on founders of powered flight. Nearly a full hour of the History Guy!
00:00 The Daily Mail and Aviation Challenges
08:56 Richard Pearse: New Zealand's Aviation Pioneer and Forgotten Dreamer
20:12 Airplane Evolution and Alexander Industries
26:46 USS Pennsylvania and The Birth of Naval Aviation
39:00 The NACA: The Most Important Government Agency You Never Heard Of.
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This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
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All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Non censuram.
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#history #thehistoryguy #Aviation

[@liamwinter4512]

I used to work at a hospice. One day a lady came in to enroll herself into our services. While waiting for a intake nurse I sat and chatted with her. Found out she was 108, completely mentally clear and social, so I asked her things about life as a woman of her age and what was the most interesting thing she's seen growing up. She then told me that her father had taken her to watch Theodore Roosevelt fly in Missouri on the Wright brothers plane and her great grandson worked for NASA. The innovation she witnessed has always left me astounded.

[@andyfarman7525]

Henri Farman won the prize for carrying the first passenger, a case of champagne, and started the first regular airline, post WW1, flying from London to Paris, cheekily using RAF Kenley without any permission in order to avoid airport fees until the station commander confronted him with a cricket bat and from then they paid their way at Croydon Airport.

[@raywhitehead730]

My grandfather, whom I knew well, met one of the Wright brothers. And my grandfather before he died, flew on a 747 as a passenger. So fast has been the development of flight. And I met many pioneers of flight. And if you look, you can too.

[@raywhitehead730]

I am 76 my grandfather died at 94. That's 170 years, which covers almost all the the time line of Aviation. My first flight was when I was about 3 years old, 73 years ago. That's before the first jet airliner. Aviation has an exciting future.

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

Charlie McAllister, who ran the FBO in Yakima, WA rented me planes; Chatting with him, I mentioned I was a hang glider pilot, and he said we flew gliders in 190x(?). I was dubious and he showed me very old B&W photos of them flying off the ridges around Yakima. He also showed me his paper 5-fold FAI Aviator's Certificate #6872, which I have a photograph of my wife holding signed by Orville Wright, Nov 11, 1927. The Yakima Air Terminal has been renamed McAllister Field.

[@raywhitehead730]

That's Great stuff.

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

A couple notes: a piece of the original Wright Flyer was actually taken to the Moon and back. Also, the Boeing 737 is one of the most successful aircraft of all time, and at any given time, there are approximately 250,000 people off the surface of the earth aboard 737's.

[@navret1707]

The Wright brothers first flight could take place entirely INSIDE a C-5. “Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines” is a great tongue in cheek movie about the London to Paris air race.

[@AECRADIO1]

Excellent coverage, and in-depth digging into real hustory of aviation. As an ex pilot, I applaud solid aviation history, not the diluted version we often see. I still enjoy Bleriot's aircraft design, one of my favorites.

[@user-oh2hs6jh5x]

We visited Kitty Hawk NC in 2014 and went to Kill Devil Hills to where the Wright flights took place. Interesting to walk the ground and see how short the first flight was (and how much further they flew later in the day). In contrast, have been to several Air and Space Museums and have seen the other end of the spectrum, like SR-71's, and Mercury capsules.

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

They actually soared their gliders for hours in the ridge lift.

[@RandiRain]

My grandfather was five years old when the airplane was first invented. That just seems crazy.

[@RetiredSailor60]

Good Monday morning History Guy and everyone watching...My father was a private pilot for 61 years. Owned a 1947 Cessna 140 and 1959 Cessna 172 Skyhawk...

[@jreg89]

Okay?

[@timothymulholland7905]

You forgot Brazilian Alberto Santos Dumont who flew in Paris in 1906 before a crowd and won several aviation prizes.

[@arn5348]

Most Americans and people of Anglo-Saxon origin make a point of forgetting why he ( Santos Dumont) is in fact considered the "Father of Aviation"

[@ceemosp]

Otto Lilienthal would like to have a word here 😶 He made several firsts: First controlled flight of a heavier than air machine in 1891, first serial production aircraft (Normalsegelapparat) and the first person to die from an unrecoverable stall induced crash (admittedly not his best first).

[@dlkline27]

This presentation contains a treasure trove of little known information that any aircraft nut (like me) will certainly appreciate. Many thanks History Guy.

[@Useaname]

I lived right opposite the railway arch where A.V. Roe built and flew his first aircraft in the UK in 1909. In 2009 a celebration was held there and a plaque was placed to commemorate it. You can visit the railway arch and the field where the flight took place. Nothing much has changed.

[@justme_gb]

There are nothing like money and fame to spur innovation. On a more serious note, The Daily Mail Challenges is a lesson on risk management. The paper was willing to pay at zero risk to itself. The adventurous took 100% of the risk hoping the cash would cover their costs. Within 8-10 years, powered aviation was instrumental in changing warfare.

[@robertweldon7909]

Having been near aircraft, (I lived near Cleveland Hopkins airport) and worked on aircraft while in the Navy, I can certainly appreciate this video. Aviation history has the tendency to be mostly unknown or forgotten. Many men and women too, contributed much, but were mostly ignored or also unknown. I learned much today. Thanks for the history lesson Lance, I really enjoyed class today. ;-)

[@swpo1]

THE HISTORY GUY RULES!!!!

[@rong1924]

The first public demonstration of manned flight in the western hemisphere was in Santa Clara California on April 29, 1905 in a glider built by John Joseph Montgomery. Pilot Daniel Maloney made a controlled flight down, dropped from a hot air balloon from 4,000 ft in front of hundreds of onlookers. Montgomery had been experimenting with manned glider flights since 1883-84. In 1906, Montgomery he was awarded a U.S. patent for the “aeroplane.” Alexander Graham Bell said, “All subsequent attempts in aviation must begin with the Montgomery machine.” Montgomery deserves to be remembered.

[@danweyant4909]

A descent, even one you survive, is NOT sustained flight

[@rong1924]

@@danweyant4909 it’s not powered flight but soaring requires and demonstrates lift and control which are the real technical challenges of flight. All pioneers started with soaring. Montgomery took it WAY beyond what anyone else had achieved.

[@Sechott12]

I was hoping to hear about lawnchair larry

[@TM-ev2tc]

Lawn chair Larry's story of flight is History that Deserves to be Remembered

[@raywhitehead730]

There were more then one! Some died. My favourite one was the guy who launched from Brazil, he got way up there.

[@raywhitehead730]

Mr. Carli, got to 17 thousand feet, 2008.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

Is a darn shame that Eugene Ely has never even been honored by a ship with the Navy.

[@richardyoder3646]

Still love your videos, always fascinating

[@kellybasham3113]

love your videos

[@michaelgardullo6561]

Thanks!

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Thank you!

[@raywhitehead730]

Aviation is such A young science/ art that there are still new pioneers. And many who did very important things are still alive. And very many who met the compete originals are around , who have now passed away. Still an exciting time to get into Space and Aviation as a young person. I am now old but I met many. I wouldn't have traded it.

[@richardmourdock2719]

Perhaps your most remarkable post. Truly a great one!

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

Hey History Guy 🤓and fellow Classmates 👋

[@Paul_Ch52]

Hey History Guy, your reports are beautifully, scholarly, professionally done. Are you giving archive copies to any schools? These are going to be valuable historic resources in a few hundred ++ years. A preservation archive seems a must. Thank you, History Guy.

[@dehilster]

And Santos deMont from Brasil in 1901 in France.

[@ghowell13]

I love everything aviation, and I'm finally home to watch the whole thing!! Thanks, The History Guy!!!❤❤❤

[@jag12549]

I would love if you did a history of Plum Island Aerodrome. Its one of the first airstrips in all of America and Burgess tested and built his first aircraft there before being commissioned by the wright brothers to make some of their first aircraft. The airport has had a storied history, has changed hands, businesses, undergone complete destruction, communal strife. It is a really cool piece of American history. I actually fly out of there and i am also on the board. I would be happy to provide footage of the airport and the Burgess museum currently housed there

[@RandallSoong-pp7ih]

Awesome!

[@167curly]

Those early aviators were true visionaries.

[@navret1707]

I have a picture hanging over my desk of a biplane firmly planted in a lone tree in the middle of an otherwise empty field. The caption read: “Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous it is, however, completely unforgiving of incapacity, careless or neglect.” Words to live by as we go aviating through the clouds and reach out a hand and touch the face of God.

[@leonmusk1040]

sounds like the oft quoted "I was looking right at it when we hit" People really need to learn basic survival skills.

[@davidautrey9914]

Kept on waiting for mention of Alexander santos du mont

[@edwinwhitaker5679]

It would be worthwhile to do a video on Dame Mary Bailey as she is a little known aviation pioneer (1st December 1890 to 28th August 1960). She was the daughter of Derrick Warner William Westenra, the 5th Baron Rossmore (1853-1921). Between 1905 and 1914 she was known to be driving a car and a motorbike and is known for speeding in one of these. She wed the 1st Baronet of Craddock, Sir Abraham Bailey (1864-1940) at The Church of Holy Trinity, in Chelsea, London, on the 5th September 1911. She served as a mechanic working on British planes on the Western Front and later she achieved 3 aviation records in less than a year, July 1927- April 1928. The last one was the first flight from London to Cape Town. This led to the awarding of a D.B.E. I am genealogically linked to her.

[@raywhitehead730]

A favorite aviation real story. Winston Churchill, War time Prime Minister was taking a plane from England to the Us. He asked the Pilot if he could sit in the Co-pilot seat. The pilot very cordially asked when was the last time he (Churchill) had been in the cockpit of an airplane. Winston replied 1912. Years before the pilot had been borne. (Winston was one of the first pilots in England)

[@justicesomeday]

My grand grand father was an aviator in 1912 for the french.....

[@glenn6583]

Thanks Histery Guy. You rock!

[@MADmosche]

“Histery” 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@davea6314]

And the Darwin Award goes to the fools who dressed up like birds and jumped from deadly heights.

[@raywhitehead730]

Only sort of. There was a German guy who did gliding very successfully, who was an inspiration to the Wright Brothers. He inspired them to think hard about the shape of wings and to create the first wind Tunnel. Which lead to a workable coefficient of lift number. All inspiration by birds.

[@raywhitehead730]

Look up, Otto Lilienthal. He was an inspiration for the Wright brothers. And his best good distance was about 850 feet. He did over 2000 glides, for a total if about 5 hours, actually airborne. His flight experiments were from 1891-96.

[@JamesAllmond]

OH my, the Daily Mail was a scandal sheet all the way back then! And we even get a tour of "History Guy" hairstyles! Great stuff, and I have long had enough sense to know I need not fly one of my own. I am bad enough on sidecars...

[@leonmusk1040]

@2:22 Peirce was oft seen making hops in his plane! but he never considered it true flight unless it was consistent stable and endurant I.e. proper flight not just a catapult assisted hop like the wright brothers claimed as flight. Problem was he had standards.

[@stringpicker5468]

The Wright Bros were using a wing design made by Australian Lawrence Hargrave. You might also have considered the Australians Bert Hinkler and Charles KIngsford Smith and the Australian government prize of £10 000 of 1919. I'd call Sopwith and Harry Hawker pretty important as well, not to mention A V Roe who was designing better aircraft in 1915 than anyone in the US. It is worth remembering that the first proper US fighters were made by SPAD and Nieuport. The Europeans were a long way ahead at that time.

[@masterskrain2630]

Interesting differences in your haircuts, H.G. !

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

It grows, I get it cut, and so on…

[@EGSBiographies-om1wb]

I wonder if the Alexander Company is part of the reason why the USAF acadamy is in Colorado Springs?

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

I don’t think so. There was a commission to choose a location, but I can’t find any indication that the former Alexander factory had anything to do with the choice.

[@claireburr3718]

What do you know about Lyman Gilmore? i notice he was missing from your list of folks flying heavier than air craft in the earliest 1900s

[@bigsarge2085]

✌

[@SafetySpooon]

KITTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@marythompson9952]

My grandmother was a 99. A group of women aviators.

[@bushwackcreek]

Actually, a full-sized man-carrying replica of Whitehead's machine has flown, and fairly well. Though not as prolific with a camera as the Wrights, there are many very detailed photographs of Whitehead's machine showing the structure and control system. Unfortunately, it was steam powered and Whitehead wasn't as scientific in his endeavors as the Wrights and wasn't able to learn and improve on his early success.

[@harleylawdude]

What about Lawn Chair Larry Walters? The Smithsonian wanted the lawn chair.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

I’ve started to write a script on him before, but the ending is just too tragic.

[@ashergoney]

Clipper Gas Refill Stop .

[@ashergoney]

200 Rupees Onwards Depending On Intricate Craftsmanship.. Jade Ivory Bracelets Sold As Pairs Only in The Region Only

[@PelenTan]

Ok. You glossed over Scaled Composite's accomplishments. You stated what the prize required. You _didn't_ say how they did it. The flew it on Friday. Brought it into the hanger and did standard post-flight checks. Went home. Came back Monday, dusted it off, slapped a new fuel-canister/engine into it, and flew it again. As for Kress's plane. It had more than enough power for takeoff. Or would have if the company that he contracted for the engine had sent him the correct engine. The one they sent him was overweight and under-powered compared to the one he paid for. Unfortunately he died in the first test flight and no one wanted to continue with his plans.

[@coryfogle5353]

When one writes something like this, sorting out what include without driving its length to unreasonable time frane can be pretty tough.

[@michaelvalenzuela2528]

The Wright bros. were not the first to fly. They were the first to successfully LAND after their flight.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

They were, arguably, the first to manage controlled flight.

[@caili999]

Forgot the real inventor of the aircraft, Alberto Santos Dumont

[@Quacks0]

37:05 You might be making your cat unhappy there by talking loudly right near his sensitive ears. :O :S

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

That was Pookie- he is no longer with us. I don’t think he was disturbed- I think he actually fell asleep. He was totally deaf by then. In my studio, participation by the cat is entirely up to the cat.

[@Quacks0]

@@TheHistoryGuyChannel Oh, okay. Well, I was just concerned for his well-being; I see that you already had that in mind, though. Thanks for getting back to me about it. :)

[@Wil_Liam1]

Posted 7 seconds ago,and over 50 views ??

[@swpo1]

Yeah figure that one out? Lol. I think it might have something to do with the time zone?

[@user-oh2hs6jh5x]

The folks that are on Patreon get early access to some of his videos, so they could have watched this before it was posted where you could see it.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Channel members get access as soon as a video uploads.

[@planespeaking]

A recreation of the Whitehead plane successfully flew, no exact replica of the Wright flyer has ever flown. My great uncle was one of the first pilots in the world with the number 72 pilots licence issued in the UK and flew a Bleriot monoplane. William McArdle was his name. He flew at the Bournemouth airshow in 1910 where Henry Rolls of Rolls Royce fame was killed. Samuel Cody also flew that day.

[@ExposingReflections]

Charles Rolls.

[@planespeaking]

​@@ExposingReflections👍 I always get them mixed up!

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

There will always be a question of who was “first.” I don’t take a stand on the subject personally. However, respectfully, both of your assertions are false. Exact replicas of the 1903 flyer have successfully flown, (e.g. the one at the Ford museum) and as there is no detail nor blueprint of the Whitehead flyer, none of the replicas can be said to be a true representation.

[@merlinwizard1000]

20th, 4 March 2024

[@lastshovel5287]

Do cats dream of flying?

[@tomwarner2468]

Again not a word about my mom's distant relative , who was the first woman to fly the English Channel in April 1912! She got her plane from Beloit personally!

[@EGSBiographies-om1wb]

83rd

[@tomwarner2468]

God gave man rule and dominion over the world, which would have included flight!

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

Been there, leveraged that 🙂

[@danweyant4909]

"Considered by many" in regard to the Wright Brothers. Seriously? What other verified flight preceded? Who figured out propellers, the coefficient of lift or adverse yaw? I'll wait

[@STho205]

It is the internet. There are cults and cells that repeat each other's mantras on anything from purple teddybears to flying barndoors.

[@lasersbee]

20:01... what happened to your hair ? Loose a bet ? 27:01... Wow your hair grew back fast....😉

[@bububaba8727]

...nothing about the romanian aviation pioneer Traian Vuia and his successfull flight in 1906 in Paris- Montesson? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traian_Vuia

[@joelmerrill]

You should to an episode about George Cayley. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Cayley#:~:text=He%20constructed%20the%20first%20flying,provide%20adequate%20thrust%20and%20lift.