A Behind-The-Scenes Take On The Wright Brothers

By Anita Rao,

Frank Stasio

Published May 20, 2015 at 12:00 PM EDT

Image of Katharine Wright sitting beside Wilbur before her first flight in 1909.

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Katharine Wright sits beside Wilbur, ready for her first takeoff at Pont-Long in France in 1909.

Courtesy of Special Collections and Archives, Wright State University

Image of Wilbur taking flight in the 1902 glider in Kitty Hawk

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Wilbur takes wing in the 1902 glider soon after the brothers' return to Kitty Hawk in 1903. Their camp and shed stand alone in the distant wind-swept sands.

Courtesy of Special Collections and Arhives, Wright State University

Image of The first Wright Brotheres camp at Kitty Hawk in 1900

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The first Wright Brothers camp at Kitty Hawk in 1900.

Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

The state of North Carolina has many claims to fame, but there is likely none more popular or controversial than the slogan on the state license plate: “First In Flight.” The phrase commemorates the spectacular achievement of brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright who piloted their first flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1903.

The latest book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian David McCullough shares a new side of the Wright Brothers’ story. McCullough traveled around the world and sifted through thousands of documents at the Library of Congress to uncover intimate details about the brothers. His book documents their early years, technological aptitude, family relationships, and lasting legacy. Host Frank Stasio talks to David McCullough about “The Wright Brothers” (Simon and Schuster /2015).

Watch a video of one of the Wright Brothers' test flights in 1909: