It's All Up in the Air
2003 Boaz Rauchwerger
All of us have the ability to be unique, to be creative, to be visionaries. Some people act on such traits and create amazing developments.
It was a cold December 17th in 1903 when two brothers acted on a vision that would change the rest of world history. Besides the two of them, there were four men present and one boy. One of the men took a picture of the event. Only a few newspapers took notice. That incredible achievement was practically unknown for five years.
Most people at that time were skeptical about their efforts. That was all right with the two brothers. They preferred to work quietly, perfecting the machine they had created. They believed in what they were doing and felt that, eventually, it would affect the lives of many people.
You may have a vision of something you want to create. Others may be skeptical. Just decide what it is that you want, define it clearly on paper, make persistent effort and watch your vision take flight.
In 2003, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of that December 17th achievement of two remarkable brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright. It was Orville at the controls of the first successful airplane flight near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. This was the world's first flight of a power-driven, heavier-than-air machine. The plane flew 120 feet in a matter of 12 seconds.
Many people had thought about flight throughout history. The Wright brothers took persistent action and brought their vision to reality. How long have you been thinking about a special dream in your life? Isn't it time to take action?
It was around 400 BC that the Chinese started humans thinking about flying. They discovered kites that could fly in the air and used them in religious ceremonies and for fun. As the forerunner to balloons and gliders, the Chinese also used kites to test weather conditions.
During the next few centuries, humans tried to fly like birds by making wings from feathers or light wood. They attached these to their arms and, not having the strength of birds, their results were often disastrous.
The first real studies of flight were made by Leonardo da Vinci in the 1480's. His theories on flight were recorded in his many illustrated drawings. One of his designs for a flying machine is actually the forerunner of the modern day helicopter.
The first hot air balloon was invented in 1783 by another set of brothers, Joseph Michel and Jacques Etienne Montgolfier. Blowing hot air into a silk bag, they attached a basket below and the balloon rose into the air. The passengers on the first flight were a sheep, a rooster and a duck. Although not available at the time, an ideal in-flight movie would have been "Animal House."
Between the years of 1799 and the 1850's, a fellow named George Cayley designed many different versions of gliders. His crafts used the movements of the body for control. He perfected the design of his wings so that air would flow over them correctly. To help with stability, he designed a tail for his gliders. He also realized that some form of power was needed to keep a glider in the air for a long time.
It was in 1891 that a German engineer named Otto Lilienthal designed the first glider that could fly a person for long distances. Since he was fascinated by birds, he wrote a book based on his studies of them, how they flew and the principles of aerodynamics. Published in 1889, this book was used by the Wright Brothers as the basis for their designs.
Progress was continued before the turn of the century by Samuel Langley, an astronomer and eventual director of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. He also realized that power was needed to make flight possible. He built a model that he called an aerodrome. It was in 1891 that his steam-powered engine flew his model for ¾ of a mile. A large grant made it possible for him to build a full sized aerodrome. It was too heavy to fly and crashed.
All of this brings us to the people who were successful with flight when everyone else had failed. The Wright Brothers can teach us much about success. They were very deliberate about their quest. They had definiteness of purpose.
They also spent many years learning about all the earlier developments of flight. Their studies included detailed research of what the other early inventors had done. They were persistent.
They tested the early theories dealing with balloons and kites. They also studied wind patterns and aerodynamics - how wind would affect flight once in the air. They studied gliders and how they could be controlled. They designed and tested different wing shapes and tails in a wind tunnel. They paid attention to details.
Definiteness of purpose, persistence, attention to details – these are the cornerstones of any successful endeavor. It all paid off for the Wright Brothers at 10:35 a.m. on December 17, 1903 as their "Flyer" lifted from level ground to the north of Big Kill Devil Hill in North Carolina.
How far could your dreams take flight? Maybe its time to let go of the brakes and take off!
A Daily Vision Affirmation
I am taking steps daily to give my dreams wings.
Article reproduced with permission from Boaz Rauchwerger. You may reprint any of these articles in any publication or Web site so long as you credit Boaz Rauchwerger as the author and include this Web site address, www.Boazpower.com.