Who was the man from New Zealand who some say flew in an airplane before the Wright brothers did?

Kainantu

August 14, 1901 - Gustave A. Whitehead flies a powered-batwing aircraft thus adding his claim to the list of 'the first to fly'. While photographs of Whitehead's plane exist, none of them show it flying. The current opinion of the Smithsonian is that none of Gustave Whitehead's planes actually flew and the controversy remains. http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/timeline4.html On or about 31 March 1903 Richard William Pearse of Waitohi New Zealand, became airborne in a high-wing monoplane he designed and built himself. It was not until 17 December 1903 that the Wright brothers' Flier I took to the air at the Kill Devil Hills in North Carolina. Though Pearse himself later conceded that the Americans deserved the honour of being the first to make a controlled and sustained flight, it is almost certain that he got into the air under power before they did. http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/timeline4.html December 17, 1903 - Orville Wright makes the world's first controlled flight with a powered heavier-than-air aircraft 'The Wright Flyer' at Kill Devil Hills near Kittyhawk North Carolina USA. The first flight lasts twelve seconds in which he flies 112 feet. His fourth and longest flight of the day is 852 feet in fifty-nine seconds. Three days earlier, Wilbur Wright achieved the world's first powered airplane flight, 105 feet in 3.5 seconds but crashed soon after takeoff. His flight is not regarded as being either sustained or controlled. http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/timeline4.html May 29 03, 9:54 AM

mochyn

Richard Pearse http://home.clear.net.nz/pages/geoff.rodliffe/ But as you can see, the Welsh were the first to fly. Bill Frost, a Welshman, achieved powered flight in the summer of 1896. http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/timeline4.html Tue May 27 20:45:41 CDT 2003 [As one entry, edited content - McG] Jun 04 03, 7:33 AM

Kainantu

Popular history has it that the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, in the United States, were the first to fly a heavier-than-air craft, but this is not true! The first flight was by a twenty-five year old New Zealander, Richard Pearse on March 31, 1902. Pearse, (1877-1953), is not generally known for this wonderful feat as, until recently, there has been very little publicity about it. In fact the first formal mention of his achievement was some seven years later in the newspapers of 1909. http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/pearse1.html Tue May 27 20:27:10 CDT 2003 [Added reference link - McG] Jun 04 03, 7:36 AM