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Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Often dubbed the 'Father of Aviation,' in 1799 English aviator George Cayley (1773-1857) built the first glider that could go short distances. His early work helped inventors understand the dynamics of flight, and the Wright Brothers acknowledged his importance.

The Wright brothers invented and flew the first airplane in 1903. It is considered the world's first 'sustained and controlled heavier-than-air powered flight.' Their aircraft, the Wright Flyer, flew about 120 feet. Today, the newest Boeing 787 can fly 10,000 miles on a single tank of gas.

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Today's Random Fact:

The world's smallest jet is the BD-5 Micro. Its wingspan is 14.21 feet and weighs just 358 pounds.

The world's largest passenger plane is the Airbus A380. It is a double-decker four-engine jetliner. It made its first flight on April 27, 2005.

The Antonov AN-225 cargo jet is the largest plane in the world. It is nearly as big as a football field from nose to tail and wing tip to wing tip. It was originally built to transport a space plane.




Bonus Fact:

English is the international language of flight. All flight controllers and all commercial pilots who fly on international flights are required to speak English.

Research shows that the first 3 minutes after takeoff and the final 8 minutes before landing are when 80 percent of plane crashes happen.

The risk of being killed in a plane crash for the average American is 1 in 11 million. The risk of being killed in a car accident is 1 in 5,000.