AviTech Reader

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Going back to 1898 Augustus Herring piloted a powered biplane based on Octave Chanute's glider design. (AYY)

Chanute was a native France citizen  who migrated to Chicago, USA at the age of 6. He was a famous civil engineers who designed so many structures. He then retired from engineering and began to experiment a lot in a bid to pursue his aeronautics interests. He did a lot of research from the old days to the very latest technologies then. He encouraged and inspired many other aviation pioneers through his articles, lectures, technical and financial help.

You can learn more about Herring and Chanute here. All I do remember is that the two had the most successful pre-“Wright Brothers” glider.

We are always amazed by the controls we find in the cockpit. They did not, however, just occur overnight. It has taken eons to perfect them to what they are today. On this same day in 1907 Robert Esnault-Pelterie made the 1^st airplane flight with a control stick, using a single, broom handle-like lever. (AYY) That is where the very famous “joystick” control came from. We really appreciate the French inventor who has many other invention pegged to his name. For a bit more about him, click here.