Timeline - A progression of flight

Slide the time bar to see key dates relating to early discoveries about Flight. Pause the mouse pointer over any of the boxes to see additional information about each event. Find out more by browsing or searching the Science Learning Hub.

Non-flash version

1000 BCE

First kites

Kites are invented in China.

852 BCE

A king tries to fly

The English King Bladud is apparently killed attempting to fly.

1485–1500

da Vinci designs planes

Leonardo da Vinci designs flying machines.

1709

Model glider design

Bartolomeu Laurenço de Gusmao designs a model glider.

1843

Biplane design

George Cayley’s biplane design is published.

1895

Biplane gliders

Otto Lilienthal flies biplane gliders.

1903

First powered flight

Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first recorded powered, sustained and controlled flight in a heavier-than-air flying machine.

1904

First powered flight in New Zealand

Richard Pearse from New Zealand makes his first recorded powered flight of more than a few seconds, though witnesses contend his first flight may have been just before the Wright brothers.

1906

First powered flight in Europe

Alberto Santos-Dumont makes the first successful powered flight in Europe.

1927

First trans-Atlantic flight

Charles Lindbergh completes the first solo non-stop trans-Atlantic flight.

1930

Jet engine invented

British inventor Frank Whittle invents the jet engine.

1932

First woman flies across Atlantic

Amelia Earhart is the first woman to fly a solo non-stop trans-Atlantic flight.

1932–1937

Record-breaking flights

New Zealander Jean Batten makes record-breaking flights around the world.

1939

First jet-propelled aircraft

Germany’s Heinkel 178 is the first fully jet-propelled aircraft to fly.

1940s

Aerial agriculture developed in NZ

Seed sowing, top dressing and crop dusting are developed in New Zealand with ex-WW2 pilots and planes. Ossie James, in particular, is noted for his role in this.

1947

Aircraft exceeds speed of sound

Charles Yeager pilots the first aircraft to exceed the speed of sound in level flight.     

1969

First supersonic transport flight

First flights of supersonic transport – Soviet TU-144 and Anglo-French Concorde.

1970

First Boeing 747 commercial flight

Boeing 747 makes the first commercial flight.

1976

Concorde passengers

Concorde begins its first passenger-carrying service.

1979

Longest human-powered flight

Bryan Allen pedals the Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel, breaking the distance record for human-powered flight.

1986

First non-stop flight around world

Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager fly the US ultralight Voyager around the world in a 9-day non-stop flight from California to California.

2005–2006

First non-stop world solo flights

Steve Fossett makes the first non-stop solo flight around the world (2005) and in 2006 lands in England after flying around the world once and crossing the Atlantic twice – a distance of 26 389.3 miles (42 469.46 kilometres).

2009

New glider record

New Zealand pilot Terry Delore breaks the world gliding record by 100 kilometres, travelling a total of 2 400 kilometres within New Zealand.

2011

Martin jetpack

In an unmanned test, the Martin jetpack reaches an altitude of 5 000 feet (1524 metres). The jetpack, invented by New Zealander, Glenn Martin, is a small flying device for one person. It was named one of the world’s top 10 inventions in 2010.

2011

World’s first flying car

The Transition® by Terrafugia is a roadable aircraft – an aeroplane that can take off and land at any airport and, with the push of a button, fold up its wings and drive down the road.

Acknowledgements:
Image: Public domain
Sound: www.sounddogs.com

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