Man has always dreamed of actually being able to fly like the birds… and throughout history, dreamers and inventors have sought to make that dream a reality. In this great collection of true stories, we jouney back through the centuries and look in on some of those amazing pioneers of flight and their triumphs and tragedies as they blaze a path to the skies!
Seven MP3 Audio programs + 4 PDF Listening Guides
THE WAY OF AN EAGLE
First up, we go on a whirlwind exploration through time to listen in on a bit of the history of man’s quest to fly like the birds. Along the way, we encounter ancient myths and legends, oddball experiments with egg shells and morning dew, “negative magnetism”, homebuilt wings, and other crazy ideas… before eventually scientists eventually began sharing information and make some true scientific progress toward solving the puzzle of flight. PDF “Listening Guide” Included!
THE STORY OF JEAN PIERRE BLANCHARD
Here’s the little known story of the first person on who ever flew over American soil — the ebullent Frenchman, Jean Pierre Blanchard, who in 1792 demonstrated his amazing flying machine for none other than George Washington! A great, lost chapter in American History!
A PIECE OF SILK
Next, the fascinating and harrowing story of a man who in 1797 tested his new, untested invention — a silken parachute — by falling 8,000 feet to the ground below! This is the story of Andre Garnerin, the man who perfected the first parachute. A great program! The illustration above is a contemporary drawing of Garnerin’s parachute. PDF “Listening Guide” Included!
THE BIRTH OF THE BALLOON
Our next episode of Adventures in Research travels back to the French countryside in 1782 where brothers Joseph & Jacques Montgolfier lie on the grass studying the clouds that drift lazily by above their heads. Their subsequent experiments lead them to the discovery of the hot air balloon… and man’s first ascent into the skies! Another fascinating story! The illustration above is a contemporary engraving of the Montgolfier brothers’ balloon… note the tiny figures in the basket at the bottom! PDF “Listening Guide” Included!
FREE AS A BIRD
This final episode of Adventures in Research shows us how the study of birds led men further toward the actual goal of flight… from the wings of an Albatross to Otto Lilienthal (1848-1896), an engineer from Anklam, Germany, who was one of the first humans to glide through the air. He became a pioneer of unpowered human flight by building and flying the world’s first hang gliders. Lilienthal built several different types of gliders, and made around 5000 flights between 1891-1896. Using his gliders, he flew as high as 984 feet, and would sometimes stay in the air for up to five hours… before he came to a tragic end. The above illustration is a ‘magic lantern’ slide from the turn of the century depicting Lilienthal’s 1895 flight. (The photo at the top of this page is Lilienthal ready to take off in one of his gliders.) PDF “Listening Guide” Included!
The Lindbergh Story:
Part One: The Called Him “Slim”
Part Two: Then They Called Him “Lucky”
Finally, we jump ahead a few decades to tell the story of one more brave pioneer aviator, who dared to make the impossible air trip — Charles Lindbergh, who was the first man to single-handedly fly across the Atlantic Ocean! This two-episode story from the CBS Radio Adventure Theater (over 1-1/2 hours total) tells the amazing story of his youth and incredible achievements!