Defiant Design: The Wright Brothers’ First Flight Flew Above Criticism

At Davison, we encourage people with ideas to pursue their dreams and create … A Better Way.

Inventing is no easy task, and there are many hurdles standing in the way of budding creators — oftentimes a naysayer.

wright brothers first airplane flight

Overcoming negative reactions to your idea can be difficult. But the Wright brothers didn’t let Thomas Edison (arguably one of the greatest inventors of all time) crush their dream and neither should your clients and their ideas.

In 1895, Thomas Edison was quoted in the New York World, saying “It is apparent to me that the possibilities of the aeroplane, which two or three years ago were thought to hold the solution to the [flying machine] problem, have been exhausted, and that we must turn elsewhere.”

Less than ten years later, the brothers defied one of the most intelligent men in the United States, if not the world, and made two flights from level ground into a headwind gusting to 27 miles per hour (43 km/h).

Orville WrightWilbur Wright

The first flight, by Orville, of 120 feet (37 m) in 12 seconds, at a speed of only 6.8 miles per hour (10.9 km/h) over the ground, was recorded in a famous photograph. The next two flights covered approximately 175 feet (53 m) and 200 feet (61 m), by Wilbur and Orville respectively. Their altitude was about 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground.

 

Proof Positive

– The National Air Traffic Controllers Association says that there are, on average, between 25,000 and 30,000 passenger flights in the United States per day.

– The Boeing Company earned 68735.00 M in revenue for 2011, according to Yahoo!

– According to the annual Amadeus Review of Ancillary Revenue Results, 50 airlines from around the world reported making $22.6 billion in fees alone (checked baggage, priority boarding, etc…)

– This website exists.

 

So, don’t let anybody tell you that your idea can’t, won’t or shouldn’t succeed. And let Davison help you find a better way.