Teachers' notes

The 1903 Flyer

The Vickers-Vimy

The Wright Brothers first flew in 1903. This was the first powered heavier-than-air flight. Sixteen years later, in 1919, Alcock and Brown flew across the Atlantic - the first transatlantic flight. 

In what ways were these two flights similar? In what ways were they different? 

Think about: 

• the fliers - who were they? 
• the flights - how high, how far, how fast, how long? 
• the aircraft - weight, structure, power, control 

What events in history spurred people on to design better aircraft? 

Make a comparison of the two aircraft and their fliers. How will you show how things changed between 1903 and 1919?