Question: Which Wright brother, Orville or Wilbur, made history’s first powered airplane flight?
Answer: It was Orville. The two brothers flipped a coin to see who would make the first flight in December 1903. Wilbur won the coin toss, but then oversteered on his first attempt, stalling out the airplane and ending up in the sand, ending that day’s efforts. Three days later, on Dec. 17, the plane was ready again, but now it was Orville’s turn. He kept the plane aloft until it hit the sand about 120 feet from the rail, become the first man to fly a gas-powered airplane. You can see a photo of him taking off here, with Wilbur running alongside. The brothers took turns flying three more times that day. Wilbur’s second flight, the fourth and last of the day, was the best one: 852 feet in 59 seconds.
