“In addition to his pioneering work in airships, Santos Dumont made the first European* public flight of an airplane on October 23, 1906.”
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santos_Dumont
*FUCK OFF!!! The first EVER public flight!!!
WWWOOOWWW! More old planes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂
Former US President Bill Clinton 1997 Speech.
“Already Brazil has given so much to the United States. You have given us artists (…), innovative writers (…) and explorer from Alberto Santos Dumont, THE FATHER OF AVIATION …”
“The history of aviation is provided starting from Santos-Dumont’s paramount invention of a heavier-than-air flying machine after a long experience with dirigible balloons. Our research involves a great number of exhibitions in Brazil on the Brazilian inventor and on the rivalry with the Wright brothers. The Wright Brothers may not be credited with the invention of the heavier-than-air flying machine since there are no public recordings of their inaugural flights and, chiefly, because their Flyer was catapult-propelled.””