Many believe the Wright Brothers were the first to fly, but that is not entirely true, depending on how one defines flight.
James Henry Gatling, also a North Carolina resident born in Hertford County, conducted numerous ground and air trials of his aeroplane in 1873. Gatling was able to achieve a 100-foot flight from a raised platform.
Eyewitnesses of the event suggested it was more of a “glide” than an actual flight. The descent left Gatling’s machine severely damaged in the aftermath, and repairs were never made to the machine.
Henry Gatling would never live to see another airplane fly, as he was murdered on his property in September 1879. The damaged airplane, which had been stored in a barn, was destroyed by fire in 1905.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.
Image Credit: The William G. Pomeroy Foundation