| xcel |
Hi All:
___I just had the best TV viewing experience I have had in quite some time. One of the local PBS stations was airing a program called “Kitty Hawk: The Wright Brothers' Journey of Invention "Pt. 1". If you are interested in a great human interest story, a scientific endeavor of the ages, or are simply a flight buff, you have got to watch this program if you haven’t seen it already. Tomorrow, the Milwaukee PBS affiliate will be airing Part 1 @ 08:00 PM and Part 2 @ 08:57. I hope it is in your locale as well. Here is a descriptive preview from MPTV’s listings …
Kitty Hawk: The Wright Brothers' Journey of Invention "Pt. 1” and "2”
“This gripping tale of hardship, perseverance, and spectacular triumph--and the true genius--of Orville and Wilbur Wright--features hundreds of rare and/or unpublished photographs, insights from leading Wright experts, and stunning sequences of replica Wright brothers' gliders in flight. The documentary follows the brothers through their epic and historic journey of discovery that culminated in the first successful manned flight. Legendary astronauts Neil Armstrong and John Glenn breathe life into the Wright brothers' writings by providing the voices of Orville and Wilbur--a fitting tribute from the heroes of space to the pioneers of aviation.”
___The only issue I had was that I was pulling the digital feed off the back of my ariel (Milwaukee instead of Chicago) with some break up and the MPTV (Milwaukee Public Television) splits the HD channel into 6 sub-channels thus reducing everything to a maximum 480i :(
___I hope you get the chance to watch a truly educational and exhilarating portrayal …
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net |
|
|
| BaldEagle |
Hi Wayne:
Thanks for the heads up. I'll make an attempt to watch, may be difficult because we are in the process of moving. |
|
|
| xcel |
Hi All:
___I just saw Part 1 and Part 2 together tonight and about all I can add is this is truly the best Public TV I have seen in quite some time … I hope one day my soul will meet the Wright’s and I will be able to congratulate them in person. This was an achievement I consider as the greatest scientific advance for the world of any discovered up to medicines to cure us from the bacteria and virus killers of the ages …
___One item I was truly disappointed in today was when I asked my son if anyone had mentioned the 100th anniversary of the first truly controlled, powered, and sustained flight at school? He said, “No, no one mentioned it at all …”. I can only think that this is a shortsighted misstep by the educators of the United States if this is the same across the country. How could 2 bicycle mechanic’s from the likes of Ohio not only come up with 3 dimensional control of the sky’s but do so without government funding or a true engineering base from which to create their machine from? They literally trounced the leading scientific minds of the time with a somewhat ingenious approach to problem solving and forwarded Aeronautical engineering to basically what we see in today’s jet airliners. One of the quotes I have heard was that their small home built wind tunnel box has only been improved upon by the latest Wind Tunnel and multi-million dollar computer modeling by 1 to 2%. What a story and it to bad so many seem to have missed it :(
___Good Luck and I hope you get the chance see both parts sometime in the future …
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net |
|
|
| xcel |
Hi All:
___Besides Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon, this picture is as close to the Holy Grail of the Air as any I can think of … The 1903 Wright Flyer in its first true flight with Orville Wright at its controls and Wilbur running along its side.
God Speed to Orville and Wilbur Wright - Dec. 17, 1903 at 10:35 AM EST.
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net |
|
|
| dbauchat |
It was a shame they were unable to get the replica Flyer off the ground yesterday, but having watched the PBS program you get a much better appreciation for the challenge involved in piloting such a craft. When you see how much time the Wright's spent developing their piloting skills plus their detailed knowledge of their machines handling, it is not surprising that the pilot yesterday didn't get it on the first try...
In retrospect, December 17th should really be a national holiday when you realize what powered flight has accomplished in the last 100 years.
PS - If you ever have a chance to visit the Wrights workshop in Greenfield Village (Dearborn, Michigan), do it. It is amazing the engineering that came out of that simple bicycle shop... |
|
|
| Warzau |
| I was watching the history channel and they had a couple of great programs dedicated to the Wright Brothers and it was very interesting. Showed how 3 modern teams or individual constructed their own 03 and attempted to fly them. It was a eye opener. Not as simple a machine as people have though it to be. |
|
|
|
