Some of these flights take people to heights that defy imagination. Technological developments have made possible what was once just a pipe dream. On December 9th, 1903 the New York Times, arguably the most respected newspaper at the time, wrote that "maybe in a million or 10 million years" man would be able to invent a plane that would actually fly. People had dreamed of flying for many years, and many longed to cross the seas. However, the absence of a plane shattered all those dreams. The New York Times wrote its verdict at a time when the United States Army with all its resources had tried in vain to develop a plane. On December 17, 1903, only eight days after the New York Times editorial, a remarkable thing happened.
Two brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright successfully piloted their plane. Although the flight lasted only 12 seconds, they had made the breakthrough that made it possible for all of us to fly today.
