On September 17, 1908, less than five years after Orville and Wilbur Wright flew the first airplane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the brothers brought their latest model to Fort Myer, Virginia, to demonstrate it to U.S. Army officials. The military was looking for a flying machine that could carry a passenger, attain forty miles per hour, and fly for at least one hour. Over the previous two weeks, Orville made a number of preliminary flights. Now he was to take up Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge, a member of the army board that was evaluating the plane and a pioneering aviator in his own right.

As Orville readied the plane, Selfridge waved to the enthusiastic crowd of more than two thousand spectators. Soon, Wright and Selfridge were off, and Orville flew along easily, minimizing his maneuvers to reduce any dangers. After three laps over...