Goodfellow
29th Apr 2002, 09:57
It seems clear that Richard Pearse was one hell of
a man and New Zealanders have every right to be
damn proud of him.
Yet words like "first," "controlled," and "flight"
get to be tricky when used in the same sentence.
According to web sites about Mr. Pearse, he
gave the Wright Brothers credit for the first
"controlled" flights. But then, he probably never
heard of Gustave Whitehead. At least as much
evidence exists for Whitehead having flown in 1901
as does Mr. Pearse in 1902. No doubt Germans will
take pride in this, except for those who are
troubled by the fact he was living in the US at
the time.
On the other hand, Scots will be pleased to know
of Preston Watson....
And so it goes.
But one thing that is certain: no matter what your
definitions of "first," "flight," and "controlled"
even the rueful anti-Americans have to admit it
was the Wrights who changed history.
www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/pearse1.html
AvStop Magazine Online Research By Geoffrey Rodliffe
Wild and inaccurate statements have been
publicised from time to time concerning Richard
Pearse's achievements in the field of aviation.
However. no responsible researcher has ever
claimed that he achieved fully controlled flight
before the Wright brothers, or indeed at any time.
To attain fully controlled flight a pilot would
have to be able to get his plane into the air, fly
it on a chosen course and land it at a
predetermined destination.
Obviously Pearse's short "hops" or "flights",
whilst they established the fact that he could
readily become airborne, did not come within this
category, but neither, for that matter, did the
first powered flights of the Wright brothers in
December 1903. The Wiight brothers, however, had
the resources necessary to continue their
experimentation until they achieved fully
controlled flight.
a man and New Zealanders have every right to be
damn proud of him.
Yet words like "first," "controlled," and "flight"
get to be tricky when used in the same sentence.
According to web sites about Mr. Pearse, he
gave the Wright Brothers credit for the first
"controlled" flights. But then, he probably never
heard of Gustave Whitehead. At least as much
evidence exists for Whitehead having flown in 1901
as does Mr. Pearse in 1902. No doubt Germans will
take pride in this, except for those who are
troubled by the fact he was living in the US at
the time.
On the other hand, Scots will be pleased to know
of Preston Watson....
And so it goes.
But one thing that is certain: no matter what your
definitions of "first," "flight," and "controlled"
even the rueful anti-Americans have to admit it
was the Wrights who changed history.
www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/pearse1.html
AvStop Magazine Online Research By Geoffrey Rodliffe
Wild and inaccurate statements have been
publicised from time to time concerning Richard
Pearse's achievements in the field of aviation.
However. no responsible researcher has ever
claimed that he achieved fully controlled flight
before the Wright brothers, or indeed at any time.
To attain fully controlled flight a pilot would
have to be able to get his plane into the air, fly
it on a chosen course and land it at a
predetermined destination.
Obviously Pearse's short "hops" or "flights",
whilst they established the fact that he could
readily become airborne, did not come within this
category, but neither, for that matter, did the
first powered flights of the Wright brothers in
December 1903. The Wiight brothers, however, had
the resources necessary to continue their
experimentation until they achieved fully
controlled flight.