History of aviation

Hugo all of a sudden developed an interest in ballooning and aviation history. And, in spite of the fact that we're on our Ancients rotation through history, I'm more than willing to take detours to anything which really captures a child's imagination. So I zipped through the online library catalogue and scrolled through, putting requests in for anything that looked interesting.

Which is how we got the Nova Documentary "Wings of Madness":

Have you heard of Alberto Santos-Dumont? Known in Brazil as the Father of Aviation? I hadn't.

Did you know he made the first European airplane flight on Oct 23, 1906?

I didn't.

A fabulous innovator, he used a variety of designs and methods for aviation (unlike the Wright brothers who pretty much stuck to the same design). An idealist, he believed flight would unite the brotherhood of man and bring peace to the world. The knowledge that airplanes were subsequently used in war brought him terrible despair.

A fascinating man and a compelling documentary, well worth checking out.