Jane's All-the-World-Aircraft, decidedly "the world authority" on aviation history, has determined, based on mountains of evidence, that Gustave Whitehead did make powered flights in 1901 and others pre-1903, and thus, is first in powered flight, well ahead of the Wrights. Others may have their unsubstantiated opinions, but this is a fact, as of March, 2013. I agree that the Wrights are NOT on any official record as making a bona fide powered flight taking off from level ground and landing at the same elevation, flying under their own power (vs. "soaring" or "gliding", requiring a 22 mph headwind), and landing without damage. This, Gustave Whitehead DID accomplish, according to 18 witnesses, most on record with affidavits, before the Wrights "fly date" of Dec. 17, 1903. In addition, we have 27 witnesses who saw Whitehead fly up through 1911, except for one, these were up through 1908, and these are on the official record, many with affidavits, interviewed by credible researchers. So if the true flight date of the Wrights is 1908, based on witness statements, Whitehead surpassed them. It depends upon what you are crediting as first. First to make a powered flight carrying a man? First to make a sustained, powered flight? First to make a sustained, powered flight from and landing on level ground, under its own power? First to make the latter under still wind? The criteria counts. But what Orville is now credited with is absolutely wrong. It wasn't a successful flight, nor was it sustained or under its own power, nor, arguably, from and landing on level ground. Accepting Orville's version is unacceptable, he had a massive conflict of interest in wanting fame. The Scientific American solicited responses to a questionnaire concerning the Wrights' flights, to date, in (approx) March, 1906. They received responses from ten "witnesses" of 17. The responses received were only for flights made in 1905, not 1903, or prior to 1905. This is described in a Scientific American article, you can read it for yourselves - it is very interesting.
Scientific American Volume 94 Number 14 (April 1906) . Note in that article it credits the Wrights as being first to fly long distances carrying a man, which is far different than crediting Orville Wright for flying 120 feet in 1903, when he actually had an out-of-control plane that nose-dived into the sands of Kitty Hawk, and was not considered a successful flight until he later engineered this, as did his executors with the Smithsonian. We must not assume. We must examine evidence. There it is.
Gustave Whitehead First to Fly.