French naval officer Félix du Temple de la Croix. Russian naval officer Alexander Fyodorovich Mozhayskiy. French inventor Clément Ader. American-turned-English citizen Sir Hiram Maxim. American Augustus Moore Herring. German immigrant Gustave Whitehead. Karl Jatho of Hanover, Germany. Richard Pearse of Waitohi, New Zealand.1
My guess is that none of these names are recognizable. Yet, each one succeeded BEFORE two brothers known as Wright ever entered the picture. Each person mentioned above flew before the Wright brothers. Yet, on this day in 1903, the Wright Brothers make claims that they are the first in flight – and their claim to fame is substantiated.
“The design of their successful plane was a breakthrough for the curvature of the wings, which provided lift. They had carefully documented records, photographs, and credible witnesses. They were masters of publicity and promotion; for example, taking President Theodore Roosevelt for an airplane ride (on film) didn’t hurt their reputation a bit.”2
To lock in their place in history, they feuded with the Smithsonian Institution, resolving it with a stipulation: Neither the Smithsonian Institution or its successors, nor any museum or other agency, bureau or facilities administered for the United States of America by the Smithsonian Institution or its successors shall publish or permit to be displayed a statement or label in connection with or in respect of any aircraft model or design of earlier date than the Wright Aeroplane of 1903, claiming in effect that such aircraft was capable of carrying a man under its own power in controlled flight.3
Through the years, we’ve just accepted that the Wright Brothers were first in flight. 
History, though, tells otherwise. They certainly may have had some firsts (height, distance, weight, etc.) but there were others who made it to the skies long before Orville and Wilbur. Such was the case with Rev. Burrell Cannon.
“The Rev. Burrell Cannon (1848-1922), pastor of the Baptist Church in Pittsburg, Texas was the inventor of the Ezekiel Airship and in August of 1901, he convinced his acquaintances that his Airship would fly and that it could be maneuvered by a lever within the inner wheel. This allowed for vertical take-off.
“Rev. Cannon made the Bible his life study, and it was from the Book of Ezekiel that he got the idea for his wheel-within-a-wheel Airship. Ezekiel 1:16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. (Ezekiel 1:16)
“…Cannon was a minister, but made his living as a sawmill operator. He was a skilled machinist and mechanic and had 9 other patents for wind-driven machines to his credit.
“He had credibility! His stock company raised $20,000.00 and the first Ezekiel Airship was built in Pittsburg, Texas at P.W. Thorsell’s Foundry. Upon completion, the Airship was shipped by rail to St. Louis where it was to be exhibited. A storm blew it off the flat bed car near Texarkana, Texas and the first model was completely destroyed.
“After the destruction of the first aircraft, Rev. Cannon moved to Longview where he attempted unsuccessfully to construct a second airship. It is reported that he felt the first one would not fly because the motor (gasoline driven) was too heavy. There is no factual documentation that it ever flew, but witnesses in Pittsburg as late as the 1960’s swore they saw it lift off over a fence near the building where it was built.”4
Twenty-six years after the Wright Brothers flew, Albert Brumley wrote the words to a popular song we still sing today. It’s all about flying.
We don’t need a pilot’s license nor a plane to fly away. All we need is death. Psalms 90:10 says, “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.”
Rather than taking flight in death, I’d much rather be whisked away in the Rapture. That seems like a better way to fly.
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
1https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/16814/who-flew-wright-brothers
2Ibid.
3Ibid.
4https://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/cannon_ezekiel.html
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