"In an era of dirigibles and hot air balloons the Wright brothers were among the first innovators of heavier-than-air flight. But in the hotly competitive international race toward flight Orville and Wilbur were up against a lot more than bad weather. Mechanical failures lack of information and even other aviators complicated the Wright brothers' journey. But thanks to their carefully recorded experiments and a healthy dash of bravery the Wright brothers' flying machines took off" --