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Concept
Maiden flight
Summary
The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets.
The maiden flight of a new aircraft type is always a historic occasion for the type and can be quite emotional for those involved. In the early days of aviation it could be dangerous, because the exact handling characteristics of the aircraft were generally unknown. The maiden flight of a new type is almost invariably flown by a highly experienced test pilot. Maiden flights are usually accompanied by a chase plane, to verify items like altitude, airspeed, and general airworthiness.
A maiden flight is only one stage in the development of an aircraft type. Unless the type is a pure research aircraft (such as the X-15), the aircraft must be tested extensively to ensure that it delivers the desired performance with an acceptable margin of safety. In the case of civilian aircraft, a new type must be certified by a governing agency (such as the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States) before it can enter operation.
An incomplete list of maiden flights of notable aircraft types, organized by date, follows.
June, 1875 – Thomas Moy's Aerial Steamer, London, England (pilotless, tethered)
October 9, 1890 – Clément Ader – took off from Gretz-Armainvilliers, Ouest of Paris, France.
August 14, 1901 – Gustave Whitehead from Leutershausen, Bavaria.
May 15, 1902 – Lyman Gilmore – took off from Grass Valley, California.
March 31, 1903 – Richard Pearse – took off from Waitohi Flat, Temuka, South Island, New Zealand.
December 17, 1903 – Wright brothers Wright Flyer – First successful piloted and controlled heavier-than-air powered aircraft; flights took place four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
March 18, 1906 – Traian Vuia, a Romanian inventor and engineer, who flew 11 meters in his self-named monoplane at Montesson near Paris, France.
Official source
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