Year: 1911

January. Wilbur's tribute to Octave Chanute, written shortly after Chanute's death on November 23, 1910, published in Aeronautics.

Wilbur attempts to define Chanute's place in aeronautical history and concludes: "his writings were so lucid as to provide an intelligent understanding of the nature of the problems of flight to a vast number of persons who would probably never have given the matter study otherwise, and not only by published articles, but by personal correspondence, and visitation, he inspired and encouraged to the limits of his ability all who were devoted to the workŠ In patience and goodness of heart he has rarely been surpassed. Few men were more universally respected and loved."

January 4. Wilbur and Orville go to New York to attend annual meeting of the Wright Company, Orville returning to Dayton January 8, Wilbur going on to Washington and returning to Dayton on January 16.

January 5. On Aviation Day at International Automobile and Aero Show, Wilbur and Orville visit their exhibit at the Grand Central Palace and are greeted by friends and admirers at informal reception at the company booth.

January 14. Sixth annual banquet of the National Geographic Society in Washington honors U.S. Army and the invention of the airplane by the Wright brothers. Wilbur makes brief address.

Distinguished guests include Henry Gannett, president of the society; Gen. John M. Wilson, former Chief of Engineers, toastmaster; President William Howard Taft, several ambassadors, and numerous high-ranking Army officers.

Wright Company and Burgess Company & Curtiss sign contract licensing latter to construct airplanes incorporating Wright patents.

This was the first licensed aircraft manufacturer in the United States.

January 23. Wright flying school opens in Augusta, Ga., in charge of Frank Coffyn, with W. Starling Burgess of Boston and George H. Manner of Baltimore as first pupils.

January 26. French Wright Company suit against Henri Farman, Louis Bleriot, and others opens in Civil Court in Paris.

February 7. Wilbur attends meeting of directors of Wright Company in New York, returning to Dayton February 8.

February 20-25. Wright model B airplane exhibited at Boston Aero Show.

March 4. Henry Peartree, Flint & Co. attorney in Paris, telegraphs Wrights that it is extremely important that they come to France to give testimony in French patent case and notifies them on March 8 that the court will hear testimony from them.

March 9. Wright brothers offer to train one pilot for the U.S. Navy, contingent upon the purchase of a Wright airplane for the sum of $5,000.

Navy orders a Wright airplane in July, when appropriations for next fiscal year become available.

March 12. Wilbur leaves Dayton en route to Paris to testify in French Wright patent suit, returning to Dayton on August 10.

March 14. He sails from New York aboard the Kronprinz Wilhelm, arriving March 21 in Plymouth.

March 21. New Wright patent No. 987,662 applied for February 17, 1908, granted.

March 24. Wilbur testifies in Paris before the Third Civil Tribunal of the Seine, which was holding hearings in the suit brought by the French owners of the Wright patents against Henri Farman, Louis Bleriot, and others for infringements.

March 29. Lt. John Rodgers, U.S. Navy, arrives in Dayton "to confer with Wright Brothers for instruction in the art of aviation."

March 31. Wilbur writes Orville from Le Mans that poor management and business practices of the French Wright Company, Compagnie Générale de Navigation Aérienne, have hindered the sale of Wright airplanes in France.

April 23. Wilbur visits widow of Otto Lilienthal in Berlin to ascertain her financial status and to view Lilienthal's old flying grounds.

April 29. French Third Civil Tribunal renders patent decision favorable to the Wrights.

May 1. Wright Company and United States Aeronautic company, New Haven, sign contract licensing latter to manufacture airplanes incorporating the Wright patent.

May 3. Orville attends dinner, sponsored by the Manufacturers Club of Cincinnati, honoring Baron Paul d'Estournelles de Constant, who was visiting the United States.

Baron d'Estournelles de Constant was a friend of Wilbur when he was flying in France in 1908.

May 4. War Department approves sending the Army's first Wright airplane to the Smithsonian Institution.

May 7. Lt. John Rodgers of the Navy and Lts. Henry H. Arnold and Thomas DeW.  Milling of the Army, after arriving in Dayton to take flying lessons at Wright Flying School, dine with Wright family.

May 8. Orville admitted as honorary member of Atlantic City Aeronautic Society.

May 20. Miss Sadie I. Fuller of Oshkosh, Wis., brings suit against Wright Company in Dayton for $5,000 for alleged injury suffered when Wright airplane piloted by Arch Hoxsey swooped down on her while she was in grandstand at air meeting in Milwaukee on September 18, 1910.

May 28. In letter to August Belmont, Orville states that present Wright Company practice is to grant licenses to promoters of air meets on a basis of about 20 percent of the amount put up in prizes in the case where nothing is paid to the fliers for appearing, and on the basis of 10 percent of the gross gate receipts and grandstand receipts in cases where these furnish the entire income for conducting the meet.

June. Wilbur comes to England and stays with Alexander Ogilvie for several weeks at Eastchurch on Sheppey Island.

Ogilvie was practicing flying the Baby Wright airplane in preparation for flying it in the Gordon Bennett aviation race, to be held in Eastchurch.

June 3. In statement to press in Dayton Orville declares that, despite recent air records established in Europe, America is in no danger of losing leadership in world aviation.

June 13. Wright School of Aviation opens at Belmont Park, N.Y., with Arthur L. Welsh licensed pilot, as instructor.

June 28. Wilbur writes Orville from Berlin reporting on excessive time required in the training of German pilots. He writes, "The poor Captain [Paul Engelhard?] cannot understand how you can train men in a week at home. He would not believe that I could carry two men with 375 turns of the propellers till I took him up [April] and did it."

This statement contradicts the common belief that the last flight by Wilbur as a pilot occurred on May 21, 1910, at Dayton.

July 3. Wrights serve summons on René Barrier, René Simon, and St. Croix Johnstone to cease exhibition flying at aviation meet in Detroit, Mich.

July 8. Management of aviation meet scheduled under the auspices of the Aero Club of Illinois for Grant Park, Chicago, August 13-20, refuses demands of Wright Company for 20 percent of gate receipts on account of their patent rights.

July 12. Orville and Wilbur elected honorary members of Aero Club of New York.

July 15. Orville test-flies Wright hydroplane B-1 at Simms Station, first Wright airplane to be delivered to the U.S. Navy.

The B-1 is delivered at Annapolis, Md., on July 19.

July 26-August 1. Orville accompanies Lt. Frank P. Lahm on series of 10 training flights at Simms Station, Dayton.

August 2. Orville goes to New York to attend meeting of Executive Committee of Wright Company and stays until arrival of Wilbur from Europe on August 9.

August 9. Wilbur returns from Europe aboard Oceanic after six months' stay is and is met at pier by Orville.

The Wrights later attend a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Wright Company in New York and then return to Dayton.

August 10. Wright Company enters seven Wright fliers in Chicago International Aviation Meet to be held August 12-20, the first time Wright flier had taken part in a meet not licensed by the Wrights.

Participating were Walter Brookins, Philip O. Parmalee, J. Clifford Turpin, Leonard Bonney, Arthur L. Welsh, Howard Gill, and Frank T. Coffyn.

August 11. Orville goes to Chicago to attend Chicago International Aviation Meet.

August 17. Wrights file suit against promoters of aviation meet in Chicago alleging that airplanes used infringed their patents.

August 24-September 5. Orville accompanies Capt. Charles DeF. Chandler, Commanding Officer of the newly established Signal Corps flying school at College Park, who was on temporary duty at Dayton to receive special instruction with the Wright Company, on series of training flights at Simms Station, Dayton.

September 13-14, 16. Wilbur submits depositions in New York in The Wright Company v. The Herring-Curtiss Company and Glenn H. Curtiss patent suit.

September 15. Wright Company signs agreement with Aero Club of St. Louis providing for participation of Wright Company in aviation meet to be held in St. Louis, October 14-22.

September 18. Alexander Ogilvie arrives in Dayton from England for visit with Wrights.

October 7. Orville leaves for Kitty Hawk, N.C., accompanied by his brother, Lorin, his nephew, Horace, and Alexander Ogilvie, to conduct gliding experiments, arriving there October 10. Orville leaves Manteo October 30 and returns to Dayton October 31.

October 16-26. Orville makes about 90 glides from Kill Devil Hill, Little Hill, and West Hill.

October 18. Orville escapes injury when his glider turns over in the air in a 35-mile gale and falls 14 feet to the ground. Both left wings and the rear horizontal surface of the glider are broken, requiring extensive repairs. The glide is witnessed by John Mitchell, Associated Press reporter.

October 23. Orville escapes injury for the second time in a week when glider turns over in the air and crashes to the ground, breaking vertical and horizontal rudders.

October 24. Orville establishes new soaring time record of nine minutes 45 seconds at Kitty Hawk, N.C., in a 50-mile wind.

This time remained a world's record until exceeded in Germany 10 years later.

October 26. Wright Signal Corps 1909 flying machine placed on exhibit in National Museum following necessary repairs made at Wright Company factory in Dayton, where it had been shipped following use at San Antonio, Tex.

November 4, 8, 9. Wilbur and Orville experiment with and fly a Curtiss machine at Simms Station, Dayton, to gain familiarity with the control mechanisms which they claimed infringed the Wright patents, then in suit in courts.

December 2. Wrights send widow of Otto Lilienthal, Mrs. Agnes Lilienthal, in Berlin, a check for $1,000 as a token of their appreciation of Lilienthal's contribution to aeronautics.

December 12. Judge Learned Hand, in U.S. Circuit Court, grants injunction to Wright Company to restrain Claude Grahame-White, English aviator, from flying in the United States without permission of the Wrights.

December 13. Wright Company brings suit for $50,000 against Claude Grahame-White to obtain an accounting of profits from flight made by him in the U.S. before November 29, 1910.