First flight, 120 feet in 12 seconds

First flight, 120 feet in 12 seconds, 1903 Dec. 17 at 10:35 a.m.; Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. This negative shows Orville Wright at the controls of the machine, lying prone on the lower wing with hips in the cradle which operated the wing-warping mechanism. Wilbur Wright running alongside to balance the machine, has just released his hold on the forward upright of the right wing. The starting rail, the wing-rest, a coil box, and other items needed for flight preparation are visible behind the machine. Photograph attributed to Wilbur and/or Orville Wright. Photograph shows the first powered, controlled, sustained flight. Orville Wright preset the camera and had John T. Daniels squeeze the rubber bulb, tripping the shutter.