Wilbur Wright Working on the Wright Flyer Motor, Camp d'Auvours, near Le Mans, France, 1908-1909

Summary

Wilbur Wright was a cautious pilot who never took unnecessary risks. During his demonstration flights in France in 1908-1909, Wilbur made a thorough, personal inspection of his airplane before each takeoff. The danger was real. Orville Wright was seriously injured, and passenger Thomas Selfridge was killed, in a crash at Fort Myer, Virginia, caused by a split propeller in 1908.

Wilbur Wright was a cautious pilot who never took unnecessary risks. During his demonstration flights in France in 1908-1909, Wilbur made a thorough, personal inspection of his airplane before each takeoff. The danger was real. Orville Wright was seriously injured, and passenger Thomas Selfridge was killed, in a crash at Fort Myer, Virginia, caused by a split propeller in 1908.

Artifact

Negative (Photograph)

Subject Date

1908-1909

Collection Title

Leon Bollee Photographs 

 On Exhibit

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

2000.53.111

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Glass (Material)

Technique

Gelatin dry plate process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 5.000 in

Width: 7.000 in

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