Richard Pearse Flew Before the Wright Brothers!
Ranked #1,131 in Culture & Society, #26,924 overall
Richard Pearse Successfully completed the first powered air flight, nearly nine months before the Wright Brothers
On March 31, 1903, Richard Pearce, a New Zealand born and self taught engineer, successfully completed the world's first powered flight in a homemade aeroplane on the South Island of New Zealand. He made a powered takeoff and flew 350 metres with poor control, crashing into a hedge at the end of the field. Pearse has no photographic evidence, but there are written eyewitness accounts. On May 11, 1903 Pearse successfully had another powered take off along a dry riverbed. He turned left then right (to fly over the riverbed) . After flying nearly a kilometre, he lost power when his engine overheated, resulting in a crash landing into the riverbed.
Half way around the world Orville and Wilbur Wright made their famous powered flight from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903. They flew for 12 seconds thus claiming to be the first men to pilot a heavier-than-air machine that took off on its own power, remained under control, and sustained flight.
Photo: Wright brother's first flight
Quick Poll: Who Do You Think Flew First?
Richard Pearse or The Wright Brothers
Who Should Get the Credit for First Flight?
Can we help to re-write history, or am I just a monkeybrain. Please jump in with your thoughts.
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Who Should Get the Credit for First Flight?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byRichard Pearse should get the credit
Bob says:
The funny thing is that the Guinness Book of World Records listed Pearse as holding the record for powered flight when I was a kid (in the 1970s). Some Yanks didn't like it so they changed the wording to include "controlled" and then used the fact that Richard Pearse crashed to claim that the Wright brothers flew first.
Posted September 23, 2011
A.Webster says:
Fairs fair, Pearce achieved two flights prior to the Wright brothers, he should definitely be acclaimed for his spirit, and be recognised as the 'pioneer' of manned flight.
Posted August 03, 2011
Richard says:
Richard Pearse shouyld get the credit.
The Wright brothers couldn't even take off without the aid of a Catapult and they didn't have wheels.
Richard Pearse had undercarriage and control surfaces which enabled him to make turns in the air long before the Wright Brothers even attempted to.
Posted July 19, 2011
Richard Paul says:
Flight is not a man-made invention anyway. After all the birds of the air have been flying for millenia before mankind began experimenting.
However, America needs to be reminded you did not invent everything.
The evidence is out. Richard Pearse got there before you. But there are reports of even earlier attempts.
Posted July 16, 2011
dantheman says:
Although the "proof" is lacking, the world doesnt revolve around proof. Eye witness accounts can put people in jail for murder. And many people recorded seeing him fly.
Posted March 18, 2011
blahblahblah says:
Richard Pierce =D
Posted February 17, 2011
Serenia says:
Richard Pearce of course!!
As a Kiwi, of course I know that Pearce was the first to fly!!!
Posted February 16, 2011
Helen says:
Definitely Richard Pearse. It's not fair that Americans should get the credit for something that he did first.
GO NEW ZEALAND!!!!!!!
Posted February 08, 2011
Bob says:
Richard Pearse. He used a monoplane, tricycle undercarriage, ailerons and took off under his own power. The Wright brothers aircraft was catapulted into a 20knot headwind. A brick could fly for 12seconds under those conditions.
Posted January 21, 2011
Ray Newton says:
THE KIWI FLEW FIRST BUT TYPICLEY DIDNT DO THE Is AND Ts. so sad.
Posted July 28, 2010
brendon says:
Richard Pearce
Posted July 11, 2010
Mick G says:
what gets me is that all the evidence is there to support the Pearce flight being first but the typical american philosophy is to be ignore it and hope it goes away. never underestimate the power of denial (american beauty). anyone who says the wright brothers has been brainwashed by the yank marketing machine
Posted June 24, 2010
OhMe says:
I have never heard of Richard Pearse but after reading this, I think his accomplishments ought to be written about. I don't think his should take the same claim as the Wright Bros since they did land but I do think he needs to be acknowledged.
Posted December 27, 2009
Richard says:
The Wrights only managed to get 12 feet off the ground - not high enough to crash!
Posted December 10, 2009
Bob says:
Pearse was in the air first, there's no denying it. Eye witnesses placed him in the air months before the Wrights. I guess he needed a better PR man.
Posted October 28, 2009
No way, Monkeybrain! it's the Wright brothers
Luminosity says:
I suppose we have to think about the species, although we should record other species histories along with our own.
First alien flight one billion years before humans existed.
;)
Posted February 25, 2011
nonurbuisnes says:
mabye the pictures of them got blown away and landed at his area (richards area) and tried takeing the credit.But it dosent matter its just aportant they actully made plaqne back then.
Posted November 30, 2010
JetAviator7 says:
It is not nearly as important who made the first flight as the fact that some inventive souls got us started in aviation and that it continues to lead our charge forward with technology.
JetAviator7
All Things Aviation Blog
Posted June 18, 2010
carynvz says:
who the heck cares? SOME one would have invented it! It was time. I don't get how N. Carolina can make the claim to fame. The Wright Brothers were from Ohio. They only needed N. Carolina's wind. Nobody from that state had anything to do with flying! I say, give it to the new Zelander, but everyone knows, it's not who did it first; it's who made it official first.
Posted May 25, 2010
Mark says:
The Wright Brothers invented and flew the first powered 3 axis controlled lifting wing. Richard Pierce designed and flew a 2 axis powered kite deserving a place among all the other inventors in early aviation. Leaving his work out of the pages of history makes for very dull reading. Credit is based on the definition of flight.
Posted April 27, 2010
simon says:
Without proper documentation for Pearse, credit should go to the documented Wrights
Posted February 01, 2010
Ellen says:
The Wrights landed, Pearse crashed.
Posted October 29, 2009
Proof that Richard Pearse WAS the first man to fly!
If you agree, add links (proof!) that help make this case.
I took this photo at MOTAT (New Zealand's Mueseum of Transport and Technology). It is a wall filled with original witness statements, each confirming Richard Pearse's first flight.
More proof in these articles. Do you know of an article that's not here. If you are a Squidoo member, you can add it to the list. If not you can click here to join squidoo now or Email Me Now with the items you want to add.
Orville Redenbacher Naturals
1 point
Richard Pearse
First Man to 'Fly' a Mechanically Powered Aeroplan more...0 points
Richard William Pearse - The First Man To Fly
On or about 31 March 1903 Richard William Pearse o more...0 points
The Official Website of Richard Pearse, Aviator and Inventor
The official web site of Richard Pearse pioneer av more...0 points
Richard Pearse : New Zealand Pioneer Aviator (1877 - 1953)
This site celebrates the life and work of Richard more...0 points
Richard Pearse - inventor and aviator | NZHistory.net.nz, New Zealand history online
There is evidence he was working on ideas for powe more...0 points
A Great Book on New Zealand Aviator Richard Pearse
"It documents his achievements as an aviation pioneer who left the ground before the Wrights. "
"Essential reading for those interested in early aviation."
Wings over Waitohi: the story of Richard Pearse
Amazon Price: $14.00 (as of 02/17/2012)
List Price:
Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Your credit card will not be charged until we ship the item.
Had you heard of Richard Pearse before today?
Everyone Can Vote!
Photo: replica of Richard Pearse first aeroplane, photo taken at MOTAT, Auckland, NZ
(Another photo I took at Motat)
Still Believe the Wright brother's flew first?
Disagree? Put your money where your mouth is and show us why.
Know of an article supporting the Wright Brothers that's not here. Squidoo member can add it to the list. If you're not a member, you can click here to join squidoo now or Email Me Now with the items you want to add.
Orville Redenbacher Naturals
2 points
The Wright Brothers - The First Flight of an Airplane
Orville and Wilbur Wright - the Wright Brothers - more...1 point
The Wright Brothers - First Flight, 1903
Orville Wright describes the first powered flight.1 point
Wright Brothers: How we made the first flight
by Orville Wright1 point
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Janiece
Aug 21, 2011 @ 8:16 am | delete
- Wow, no I'd never heard of Richard Pearse before! Very interesting! Isn't it interesting how things can be invented in two different parts of the world at almost the same time...
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frugalfurguy
Mar 15, 2011 @ 2:35 pm | delete
- Provocative! Challenging something I've never seen challenged before. I'm surprised at how many visitors, though, respond that they already knew about Richard Pearse.
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GardenArbor
Feb 5, 2011 @ 6:25 am | delete
- There have been many people who were the first to do something, made discoveries or invented things and then somebody else higher up the food chain got undeserved credit for them!
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jim gilgalagenhosen
Feb 4, 2011 @ 10:18 am | delete
- you spelled meters wrong. you need to go back to preschool... unless you're French and you are not caught up in time we are in the 21st century, thats right i am a High-school English teacher in a bad mood
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Julia
Feb 5, 2011 @ 6:31 am | delete
- It's correct if you speak English rather than American. I find it amusing that a teacher is unaware of proper English spellings.
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tropicalmonsoon
Dec 28, 2010 @ 12:49 pm | delete
- Damn the Wright Brothers must have got the credit just because they were from the USA :-(
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LabKitty
Dec 20, 2010 @ 10:08 am | delete
- Ha! Yet another example of Stigler's Law of Eponymy: no discovery is named after its original discoverer. See also: evolution, Brownian motion, the pudding pop.
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mcochs
Oct 15, 2010 @ 8:45 am | delete
- Really nice lens-thanks for creating it!
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JetAviator7
Jul 9, 2010 @ 3:52 pm | delete
- The truth be known several pilots probably flew an airplane before the Wright Brothers but didn't know how to get the exposure.
JetAviator7
All Things Aviation Blog
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jptanabe
Jun 24, 2010 @ 6:45 am | delete
- Well that was fascinating! Good for Richard Pearce to get into the air like that - pity he crashed of course! Great lens.
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Simon
Feb 1, 2010 @ 4:31 am | delete
- interesting debate
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OhMe
Dec 27, 2009 @ 1:34 pm | delete
- Wow, this was so interesting. Now, I will be pondering this all day and wonder what else I knew that was not true. Very well presented. Blessed by a Squid Angel.
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Sylvestermouse
Oct 25, 2009 @ 11:43 am | delete
- This is a very interesting lens! I don't doubt one bit that you know what you are talking about.
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rms
Oct 25, 2009 @ 8:31 am | delete
- Interesting topic!
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kab
Oct 25, 2009 @ 1:12 am | delete
- I think you might be right!
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Best Pick #1
Wings over Waitohi: the story of Richard Pearse
Amazon Price: $14.00 (as of 02/17/2012)
Best Pick #2
The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane
Amazon Price: $7.95 (as of 02/17/2012)
