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Specifically, this question relates to Gustave Whitehead's achievement, credited with first flight by one state and evaluated by a growing number of historians. This question is specific to Gustave Whitehead, and therefore is not a duplicate of previous general questions about the Wrights and anyone who might have flown before them. Gustave Whitehead, German immigrant and Connecticut resident, has been credited with the first successful powered flights of mankind by the State of Connecticut and many of his contemporaries.

According to substantial documentation, Whitehead flew powered aeroplanes successfully in 1901-1904, including predating the Wrights' flights by two years and three months. My book, "Gustave Whitehead: First in Flight" (2015), lists the evidence, showing why he wasn't more widely credited in recent decades. It includes extensive detail about how the Wrights managed to obtain credit, in order to win their lawsuit against Curtiss and gain broader patent rights. Mainstream historians dislike the Whitehead claim and point to what their competitor, Orville Wright, said about it.

Did Whitehead achieve powered flight before the Wrights?

Susan Brinchman
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  • The Wright Brothers' stuff is pretty well documented -- if not the activities at Kitty Hawk in Dec 1903 (where there were only a handful of witnesses) then many, many flights over Dayton Ohio the following summer. Someone may have preceded them (depending on your definition of "powered flight") but proving that is a matter of finding sufficient documentation. – Daniel R Hicks Dec 27 '18 at 19:58
  • In examining the proofs that Gustave Whitehead made successful powered flights in 1901-1904, there are 18 recorded eyewitness statements to multiple flights, 11 local contemporary news articles, and 5 contemporary Scientific American articles crediting Whitehead with this achievement. Documentation of the Wright flights of 1903 falls short of this mass of evidence and relies heavily on their own accounts. – Susan Brinchman Dec 27 '18 at 21:20
  • This question addresses whether Whitehead was first, apart from any others. He flew aeroplanes of his own invention, powered by engines he designed and built, took off and landed successfully on multiple occasions. Much of the mainstream aviation history misinformation about Gustave Whitehead found today in books and online derives from an article Orville Wright wrote about him in the 1940's. It is time to examine the actual evidence, rather than innuendo. – Susan Brinchman Dec 27 '18 at 21:31
  • @SusanBrinchman The question MichaelK linked asks, right at the bottom, "Is there credible evidence proving Gustave Whitehead achieved powered heavier-than-air human flight before the Wright brothers?" Perhaps the original question from 2011 should have its title edited. – F1Krazy Dec 27 '18 at 23:58
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    "An interesting book, "Gustave Whitehead: First in Flight", have been published recently" - you should probably note in the interests of transparency that, according to your profile, *you* are the author of said book. – F1Krazy Dec 28 '18 at 00:03
  • Please review the question content which has been revised pertaining to the book, "Gustave Whitehead: First in Flight". I am now the sole living person in the world closely connected with the Whitehead research and interviews with his contemporaries and flight witnesses, and as such, author of this book. – Susan Brinchman Dec 28 '18 at 01:42
  • Hi Susan. While we appreciate your interest, this question (and its answer) is problematic because it looks like it is an attempt to promote your book (and the website you reference, which appears to be run by you) rather than a genuine question. How about deleting references to your book in order to remove this suspicion? – DJClayworth Jan 03 '19 at 16:15
  • Flagging to close as this was simply an attempt to promote the author's book. Despite the fact that the question has since been changed to advertise the author's affiliation, that only happened after the author was called out on it. – DenisS Jan 03 '19 at 21:58
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    This question is not spam (according to Stack Exchange [rules](https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/help/promotion)) as it discloses the association of the author and has no links to the product. Please don't flag it as such. – Sklivvz Jan 04 '19 at 08:13
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    @DJClayworth So, someone presumably knowledgeable enough on a topic to have written a book on the topic cannot mention that fact? Posting a question only so you can answer it, because you know a lot about it, is exactly what SE is. I don't understand your reasoning for your comment. –  Jan 04 '19 at 22:27
  • @fredsbend For the same reason that someone who owns a profitmaking travel website isn't allowed to go on the Travel stackexchange and post travel questions and answers, all of which make reference to their website. Note that I have no objection to the question or answer as they stand now (except for them being duplicates). – DJClayworth Jan 04 '19 at 23:35
  • @DJClayworth That's not the same. That's promoting an active service. Pointing to your book is "promoting" more information. –  Jan 04 '19 at 23:36
  • I am not attempting to promote my book but to discuss the question at hand. The references to the book are necessary occasionally because the material is not found online (unless placed on my website), because others did not do the research and find this info in archives like I have. I cite the places where the archived info is located, when possible. There is so much misinformation on the web (like on the Smithsonian and associated websites, Wikipedia, and so on), that it gets very confusing for those trying to learn about Whitehead. – Susan Brinchman Jan 05 '19 at 02:36
  • In any case this question is a duplicate of the one linked to. There is nothing wrong with posting an additional answer to that question if you believe it is needed. – DJClayworth Jan 05 '19 at 14:08
  • This question is specific to Whitehead, with his name in the title. It is well deserved, too. – Susan Brinchman Jan 06 '19 at 16:18

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Gustave Whitehead was first in successful powered flight, flying the aeroplane he invented in 1901, predating the Wrights by two years and three months, and on at least several occasions during that year. According to multiple witnesses (1) and numerous local newspaper articles of the era (2), Whitehead made achieved an elevation of 50 feet and flew a distance of up to 1/2 mile, with successful landings. In his day, up until about 1904, Whitehead became world-famous for having made the flights, credited in contemporary Scientific American articles for these accomplishments on at least five occasions.(3.) He became overshadowed by later inventors, such as the Wrights and Curtiss.

  1. http://gustavewhitehead.info/gustave-whitehead-powered-flight-witnesses/
  2. http://gustavewhitehead.info/local-newspaper-evidence-whiteheads-1901-flights/
  3. http://gustavewhitehead.info/scientific-american-on-early-flights/
Susan Brinchman
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    I would expect a page dedicated to Whitehead to make such claims. As ist stands, this answer is not well sourced – npst Dec 28 '18 at 10:49
  • The Wright Brothers' exploits are well documented and verified by independent sources. As far as Whitehead's exploits are concerned there is very little other than a few accounts by people who couldn't really be considered independent. While it's possible Whitehead did indeed beat the Wrights into the air we have to go with the group that provide the verifiable proof that they actually did it. As the Wrights can prove that they flew and Whitehead can't I think the Wright's place in history is still secure unless hard evidence comes to light otherwise. – GordonM Dec 31 '18 at 15:58
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    I think the fact that Whitehead was unable to produce an engine lightweight and powerful enough to power an airplane when commissioned to do so years later casts considerable doubt on his claim to be first with powered flight. – antlersoft Dec 31 '18 at 16:39
  • Whitehead sold engines regularly to customers from 1901-1915; he was well-known for his lightweight, powerful engines. He had so many requests he couldn't fill them. Charles Witteman, famed early aviation pioneer, airplane manufacturer, and aviation industry consultant to President Wilson, wrote that he visited Whitehead in 1908, found his engines to be "well-designed and very well-built"; he bought one and used it successfully in an aeroplane he built (History by Contract, 1978). Wittemann later called Whitehead "a genius and extremely fine mechanic and designer" (Bpt. Post, April 17, 1964). – Susan Brinchman Dec 31 '18 at 20:13
  • Hard evidence is abundant for Whitehead in the archives that exist on him in CT and TX, as well as the books "History by Contract" (O'Dwyer, Randolph, 1978)(aka H by C) and "Gustave Whitehead: First in Flight" (Brinchman, 2015)(aka GWFIF). There is only one reason the Wrights have been so successful, according to a growing number of experts, and that is the Contract with Smithsonian (H by C, GWFIF). – Susan Brinchman Dec 31 '18 at 20:17
  • Flagging to delete, question does not disclose the author as having wrote the book and maintaining the website her entire answer is built around. This is Spam. – DenisS Jan 03 '19 at 21:59
  • From the question: "My book, "Gustave Whitehead: First in Flight" (2015), lists the evidence, showing why he wasn't more widely credited in recent decades." – Susan Brinchman Jan 03 '19 at 22:12
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    Linking to one's own site or publication is perfectly fine (as long as it's not commercial advertisement), please don't flag this as spam, because it is not. – Sklivvz Jan 04 '19 at 08:15
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    @DenisS So, someone presumably knowledgeable enough on a topic to have written a book on the topic cannot mention that fact? Do you know what spam actually is? –  Jan 04 '19 at 22:22