Flights Of Fancy: An Air Of Gratitude

Feeling cranky about air travel? Get a grip.Not on thefirst hydroplane. He zipped around Europe, flying to
arm of your passenger seat--on reality, history, and thefashionable restaurants and parking his plane out front,
incredible accomplishment of human flight.We've justright next to the tethered horses. Where the Wrights
celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Wrightwere methodical and diligent, Santos-Dumont was a
brothers' historic flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.flashy man about town known for his daring and his
Although there werecertainly others who weresense of style. He cut a dashing figure and inspired
experimenting with flying machines--most notably,everyone from fashion designers to engineers. His
Alberto Santos-Dumont, a Brazilian who is widelyfriend, Louis Cartier, created the first wristwatch for
celebrated in his native country as being the father ofhim after Santos-Dumont expressed a need to keep
aviation--the Wright Brothers are generally regardedtrack of time while busily flying his
as the first to get humans off the ground.Theplane.Santos-Dumont didn't give a rip about patents.
fascinating thing about the Wright brothers is that theyInstead of spending his time and money on protecting
were not the idealistic dreamers you might expecthis designs, he freely offered his ideas to anyone
them to be. They were serious, studious, andinterested in copying and improving them. He engaged
determined to figure things out. It wasn't that theyin the shareware idea: take this, go forth and prosper.
were obsessed with the dream of soaring high aboveWe've seen this approach in software (Linux) and
the ground. They were mechanically-inclined brothershybrid-electric cars (Hunter and Amory Lovins), and
who owned a bicycle shop, and they couldn't forgetthough it rarely leads to great wealth for the creators,
the brief but exciting flight of a cheap toy airplaneit dramatically facilitates access and ingenuity.After
they'd received as children. They were intrigued by theyears of flying high, Santos-Dumont suffered from ill
engineering challenge.Let's just say it--they werehealth and committed suicide in 1932. I guess neither
geeks. Good thing. Like geeks everywhere, they dug in,engineering talent nor courageous individualism
immersing themselves in their research. By followingguarantees a happy ending. The Wrights ran out of
their hunch and testing the heck out of it, they foundpassion, and Santos-Dumont lost his mojo. In their own
the key component that enabled them to create thatways, they simply burned out.It's interesting to think
first flying hunk of wood, fabric and wire capable ofabout how we need both the plodding perseverance
carrying a man and--key point here--landing withoutof the Wrights and the free-thinking generosity of
crashing.The Wright brothers had the same access toSantos-Dumont in every project we undertake. The
records of tried and failed attempts at flight as all othergreatest invention in the world will never capture the
would-be aviators of the time. They studied birds, theyexcitement of the population without those who are
analyzed physics properties, and they built windfearless in their attempts to apply it. Those who create
tunnels--just like everyone else. Sure, it was theirthe buzz are admittedly standing on the shoulders of
dogged persistence that led them to success, butthose who quietly developed the technology, but we
there was something else that really helped them nail it.must have both to bring out the eagerness of the
They took one piece of the puzzle and workedearly adopters and the cultural change that hinges
relentlessly to decipher it.Instead of focusing on theupon the mainstream acceptance of any new idea.Bill
force needed to lift the contraption, or the engineGates, that geek extraordinaire, has said: "The Wright
required to power it, they zeroed in on the concept ofbrothers created the single greatest cultural force
control. No sense having a great flight only to crashsince the invention of writing. The airplane became the
into the trees after a few moments of jubilation. It wasfirst world wide web, bringing people of different
the issue of control that captured their imagination andlanguages, ideas and values together."The next time
led to a design featuring both maneuverability andyou're slogging through security, struggling to put your
safety.But as focused as they were on directing thebag in the overhead compartment, or grousing about
movement of the flying machines, they failed to paythe leg room, pause a moment to reflect on the
attention to the continued testing and refinement ofenormity of human flight. Recognize it for the
their ideas. They got distracted by their efforts tomagnificent achievement that it is, and pay tribute to
control sales, and the research and developmentthose who lived and died for its creation. Appreciate
division was left flapping in the breeze. While thethe risk taking required in the last century to get you
Wrights got caught up in patent struggles andthat window seat.Please remain seated until the
contracts, adventurers around the world wereaircraft comes to a complete stop, and whisper words
improving on their original design and savvyof gratitude to the Wright brothers for their
businessmen were building airplanes, airports and flightdetermination in discovering what it takes to make a
schools. By 1912, Wilbur had died and Orville was losingsafe landing.You may now move freely about the
interest in flying.Meanwhile, Santos-Dumont continuedcabin. Please refrain from complaining.Thank you for
his passion for being airborne. He is credited withflying for us, Wilbur and Orville.
launching the first public flight as well as designing the