News home  Archive Specials Opinion Features News blog Events blog Nature Journal On 17 December 1903, the first powered plane took off, paving the way for bombers, boeings and budget airlines. To celebrate, Nature news looks back at the early pioneers of flight, rounds up a century of aeronautical innovation and looks forward to the future of aviation. Orville Wright was the first to fly, but he wasn't the first to try. Many aviators have lost their lives in the pursuit of flight. Nature news celebrates five dodos of aviation — plucky pilots who pushed forward the frontiers of air travel but perished when gravity got them down.   Conceived and reported by Helen R. Pilcher Designed and built by Charlotte Westney   ADVERTISEMENT

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