Feeling cranky about air travel? Get a grip.

Not on the arm of your passenger seat--on reality, history, also the incredible accomplishment of human flight.

We've just celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' historic flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Although there werecertainly others who were experimenting with flying machines--most notably, Alberto Santos-Dumont, a Brazilian who is widely celebrated in his native country as being the father of aviation--the Wright Brothers are generally regarded as the first to get humans off the ground.

The fascinating thing about the Wright brothers is that they were not the idealistic dreamers you might expect them to be. They were serious, studious, also determined to figure things out. It was not that they were obsessed with the dream of soaring high above the ground. They were mechanically-inclined brothers who owned a bicycle shop, also they couldn't forget the brief however exciting flight of a cheap toy airplane they'd received as children. They were intrigued by the engineering challenge.

Let's just say it--they were geeks. Good thing. Like geeks everywhere, they dug in, immersing themselves in their research. By following their hunch also testing the heck out of it, they found the key component that enabled them to create that first flying hunk of wood, fabric also wire capable of carrying a man and--key point here--landing without crashing.

The Wright brothers had the same access to records of tried also failed attempts at flight as all other would-be aviators of the time. They studied birds, they analyzed physics properties, also they built wind tunnels--just like everyone else. Sure, it was their dogged persistence that led them to success, however there was something else that really helped them nail it. They took one piece of the puzzle also worked relentlessly to decipher it.

Instead of focusing on the force needed to lift the contraption, or the engine required to power it, they zeroed in on the concept of control. No sense having a great flight only to crash into the trees after a few moments of jubilation. It was the issue of control that captured their imagination also led to a design featuring both maneuverability also safety.

But as focused as they were on directing the movement of the flying machines, they failed to pay attention to the continued testing also refinement of their ideas. They got distracted by their efforts to control sales, also the research also development division was left flapping in the breeze. While the Wrights got caught up in patent struggles also contracts, adventurers around the world were improving on their original design also savvy businessmen were building airplanes, airports also flight schools. By 1912, Wilbur had died also Orville was losing interest in flying.

Meanwhile, Santos-Dumont continued his passion for being airborne. He is credited with launching the first public flight as well as designing the first hydroplane. He zipped around Europe, flying to fashionable restaurants also parking his plane out front, right next to the tethered horses. Where the Wrights were methodical also diligent, Santos-Dumont was a flashy man about town known for his daring also his sense of style. He cut a dashing figure also inspired everyone from fashion designers to engineers. His friend, Louis Cartier, created the first wristwatch for him after Santos-Dumont expressed a need to keep track of time while busily flying his plane.

Santos-Dumont didn't give a rip about patents. Instead of spending his time also money on protecting his designs, he freely offered his ideas to anyone interested in copying also improving them. He engaged in the shareware idea: take this, go forth also prosper. We've seen this approach in software (Linux) also hybrid-electric cars (Hunter also Amory Lovins), also though it rarely leads to great wealth for the creators, it dramatically facilitates access also ingenuity.

After years of flying high, Santos-Dumont suffered from ill health also committed suicide in 1932. I guess neither engineering talent nor courageous individualism guarantees a happy ending. The Wrights ran out of passion, also Santos-Dumont lost his mojo. In their own ways, they simply burned out.

It is interesting to think about how we need both the plodding perseverance of the Wrights also the free-thinking generosity of Santos-Dumont in every project we undertake. The greatest invention in the world will never capture the excitement of the population without those who are fearless in their attempts to apply it. Those who create the buzz are admittedly standing on the shoulders of those who quietly developed the technology, however we must have both to bring out the eagerness of the early adopters also the cultural change that hinges upon the mainstream acceptance of any new idea.

Bill Gates, that geek extraordinaire, has said: "The Wright brothers created the single greatest cultural force since the invention of writing. The airplane became the first world wide web, bringing people of different languages, ideas also values together."

The next time you're slogging through security, struggling to put your bag in the overhead compartment, or grousing about the leg room, pause a moment to reflect on the enormity of human flight. Recognize it for the magnificent achievement that it is, also pay tribute to those who lived also died for its creation. Appreciate the risk taking required in the last century to get you that window seat.

Please remain seated until the aircraft comes to a complete stop, also whisper words of gratitude to the Wright brothers for their determination in discovering what it takes to make a safe landing.

You may now move freely about the cabin. Please refrain from complaining.

Thank you for flying for us, Wilbur also Orville.

About the Author

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse. Her work has inspired thinkers in over 70 countries around the world. This article appeared previously in the Friday Mind Massage, a free weekly ezine serving up a satisfying blend of clarity, comfort also comic relief. To subscribe, visit http://www.massageyourmind.com.
maya@massageyourmind.com