Powered flight: Invented in a bike shop

Triathlon Forum
1

Tomorrow is the 100th anniversary of the first recorded powered flight. It is worth acknowledging that powered flight was invented by two guys in a bike shop. The bike shop is now 1.8 miles from our store.

I have always been amazed two guys from a bike shop accomplished this. I wrote an editorial about it on our website today:

http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/editorials/0000043.shtml

2

Great article. I can relate to it on many levels as I spend around 40-50 hours a week either on my bike or working on furthering the boundaries of flight, and a large portion of the remainding time dreaming about Kona.

3

Thanks Jack. I’m getting on the computrainer now for another epic 4 hour ordeal with Greg from our store.

I was concerned the editorial would be too circuitous for people to follow.

Thanks for reading.

4

I always enjoy your writing and this one was no exception. Thanks for making my time at work a little more enjoyable.

5

Thanks for reading. This one was a labor of love since I enjoy flight and all things related so much.

6

Tom, this is a great piece of writing - thank you for sharing it with us. I always look forward to reading your editorials, and this one was well worth the wait.

7

It had to be bike mechanics who invented powered flight according to a documentary I recently watched. Because unlike others who were trying to invent the flying machine, they understood that like a bike the airplane could not be a static machine, and that the “rider” / operator had to actively and constantly make adjustments to keep the plane under control. Others were working off the theory of that the elements would control the airplane (like a ship or a car)

So it had to be bike mechanics, you see…

Henk

8

I remember standing on the tarmack next to our KLM 747, watching a BA Concorde take off; what a beautifull sight, and unlike any other passenger plane taking off you sawit take off, you heard it take off and you FELT it take off! WOW!

Damn Tom now you’ve got me remenissing agout my purser days with KLM…

Henk

9

Tom,

Great writing, enjoyed it as much as the “Triathlete mission in Baghdad” piece. Looking forward to your book – what will it be about and when will it be published? I’ve always wanted to write. Coincidentally, a couple of weeks ago I discovered that an ol’ Navy submarine buddy of mine, George Wallace (did my first IM with him, Vineman '93, where we got our Ironvirgin asses handed to us by the 103 deg day) has just come out with his first fictional Tom Clancy type novel (Final Bearing). Guess I better stop dreaming and start writing. Kinda like the Wright Bruddas!

Aloha!

11

Maybe they should have hired bicycle mechanics???

“One-hundred years after the Wright brothers’ first flight, an attempt to re-create the moment failed Wednesday when a replica craft couldn’t get off the ground and sputtered into the mud. The muslin-winged flyer dropped off the end of a wooden track and stopped dead in a muddy puddle. Pilot Kevin Kochersberger dropped his head in apparent chagrin and later laughed as the plane was hoisted back on the track”

12

Thanks for reading. This one was a labor of love since I enjoy flight and all things related so much.
Me too. I will never forget the first looping I did. Another great experience was crashing a sailplane. The instructor pilot thought I would land and I thought he would land … so nobody landed this damn plane … oops … it was a little rough.

regards,
Frank