 Since the beginning of time, there have been those men who looked to the sky, who envied birds their graceful soaring flight, who said to themselves, if I could but fly. After eons of frustration, man did fly. It was the year 1783 AD when man first freed himself from the bonds of earth and rose to heights once reserved for winged creatures alone. He first ascended toward the heavens, suspended from a fabric bag filled with heated air. It wasn't long before the interest in ballooning became widespread, and its military possibilities were considered by many countries, including the United States. During the American Civil War, the Union Army used balloons for observation purposes. In the last half of the 19th century, the interests of many experimenters shifted from the lighter-than-air balloons to the glider. Visionaries considered the feasibility of adding a mechanical means of locomotion to the glider. Their ultimate goal was to develop a glider which could use some means of power for flight, a man carrying aircraft. A technological breakthrough occurred with the invention of the high-speed internal combustion engine. Near the end of the century, the high-speed engine was married to the glider. The result was the birth of the airplane. In 1903, two imaginative bicycle mechanics felt they had a heavier-than-air machine which could carry a man aloft in sustained, controlled flight. Wilbur and Orville Wright, after four years of experimentation, gave the glider a water-cooled 12-horsepower engine which they designed themselves. The engine powered two chain-driven pusher-type propellers. December 17, 1903 was a cold, windy day at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. By the toss of a coin, Orville won the chance to become the first man in history to fly under power. The first flight, covering a distance of 120 feet, lasted only 12 seconds. Four flights were made that day, and the last flight covered 852 feet in 59 seconds. Because of the bleak December weather and a lack of fanfare, only five people witnessed those first historic flights. The Wrights returned home to Dayton, Ohio, to continue their experiments. For one thing, they had to refine the controlling devices in order to turn the airplane in a safe manner. They began to patent certain features of their flying machines. In 1907, the Wright brothers' achievements were brought to the personal attention of President Theodore Roosevelt. The potential of the airplane as an instrument for national defense was pointed out. In December of that year, signal core specification number 486 was issued. It provided that the government would buy a flying machine from the lowest bidder. A flying machine which could attain a speed of at least 40 miles per hour and carry two persons with a combined weight of 350 pounds, a distance of 125 miles. It also stipulated that it would have to pass an endurance flight test of at least one hour while being steered in all directions and remain under perfect control. In all, 41 proposals were received. But eventually, the Wrights and two others were given the go-ahead to build the first American military airplane. The Wrights were the only ones to deliver. They signed the contract on February 10, 1908, and 200 days later, Orville delivered the Wright Flyer to Fort Meyer, Virginia, where initial flight testing began. There were several setbacks, including a crash which required the construction of a new airplane. The crash took the life of Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge, who was flying as Orville Wright's passenger. He became the Army's first aviation fatality. Orville sustained severe injuries in the smash-up. On July 27, 1909, Orville made the first official test flight. Lieutenant Frank P. Long went along as a passenger. The flight established a world's record, one hour, 12 minutes and 40 seconds. The final test on July 30 was the speed flight. This time, Orville's passenger was Lieutenant Benjamin D. Fulloy. The average speed of 42.5 miles per hour won the Wrights a bonus of $5,000 over the contract price of $25,000. The Wrights airplane was officially accepted by the Army on the 2nd of August, 1909 and was designated Signal Corps airplane number one. The Army's contract included a stipulation that the Wrights teach two officers to fly the machine. In October of 1909, Wilbur trained the Army's first aviators. Lieutenant Frederick E. Humphries and Frank P. Long soloed after just over three hours of flying time. But by the end of the year, the Signal Corps lost these first two pilots when they were returned to their regular Army assignments. In 1910, Lieutenant Fulloy became the first correspondent school pilot. He learned to fly the airplane while getting instructions from the Wrights by mail. Until 1911, the Army had only one airplane and one pilot, Fulloy. In March of that year, Congress appropriated $125,000 for Army aeronautics. Five new airplanes were ordered, three from the Wrights and two from Glenn Curtis. The Curtis airplane was also a pusher type, but it had only one seat. Little by little, more men were taught to fly. By the end of 1913, 24 pilots were authorized to wear military aviator badges. Among them was Lieutenant Henry Hap Arnold, who first learned to fly at the Wright School near Dayton, then later qualified as a military pilot at College Park, Maryland. During this period, many flying schools were established. Because of the favorable flying conditions in California, Glenn Curtis moved west and established a school in San Diego. It grew into the Army's first permanent aviation school. Two overseas training schools were also established, one in Hawaii and the other in the Philippines. Near Manila, Lieutenant Frank Lomb opened a flying school with one airplane, a Wright model Type B. At College Park, Maryland, Army pilots pioneered in several areas. The advantages of two-way radio telegraphy were demonstrated. Experiments were conducted in aerial photography. Night flying techniques were also developed during this period. The first American bomb site and bomb dropping device was demonstrated. Experiments were conducted on the firing of a low-recoil machine gun from an airplane. Named the Lewis Gun, it eventually became standard armament on Allied planes during World War I. This was truly a period of experimentation in American aviation, and in spite of a lack of funds and other obstacles, Army aviation had made progress. In 1913, the Signal Corps realized that the time was ripe to establish an air organization capable of military operations in the field. At Texas City, Texas, the first aero squadron was organized as an interim measure to meet an emergency situation. The squadron flew its nine airplanes with the Second Division guarding the Mexican border. This organization was officially organized in September 1914. In 1914, Congress authorized the establishment of an aviation section in the Signal Corps and appropriated a quarter of a million dollars to expand the aerial forces. The expansion meant more men and more planes, faster and safer airplanes were built. The Army's first tractor type aircraft, delivered in 1912, was a hydroplane built by the Burgess Company. The propeller was mounted in front of the pilot rather than behind him. By 1914, the pusher type airplanes were declared dangerous and were removed from use. They were replaced by new Curtis J. tractor type planes. Len Curtis's tractor type biplane eventually evolved into the famous series of Curtis Jennings, which were used for training during World War I. The United States Army witnessed the airplane developing gradually until it emerged as a true military weapon. When World War I began, less than 11 years after the success of the Wright Brothers, the airplane began to influence the histories of many nations.