progress
prior to the Wright Bros. first public flights the progress of others were measured in meters and seconds. i.e. on July 4, 1908 Glenn Curtiss flies 1,550 m (5,090 ft) in 1 minute and 42 seconds
and
In January, 1908, Henri Farman making the world's first circular flight of at least 1 km (0,621 mile) in a Voisin 1907 biplane. In a flight of 1 minutes 28 seconds at Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
These two aviatiors are good representation of what was accomplished until then.