http://archive.org/details/Fir...ghtFlightInItaly1909

Pretty interesting 32 second film showing takeoff and inflight footage of a Wright Flyer. First time film was ever shot from a plane in flight. You'll notice how much the plane pitches up and down. Anyway, pretty cool short little film from a pretty interesting era.

Strictly "seat-of-the pants" flying. No way to tell airspeed, no stall warnings. "Balls as big as church bells". How the hell do you thank pioneers like that?

The early Wright flyers were unstable in pitch because the "elevator" was too close to the main wing and the elevator pivot was too close to the elevator's center of pressure
issues the Wrights were working to correct.

Remember that even though the "elevators" are techincally a canard layout in modern terms the Wrights invented "the flying tail" (the whole surface moves)

The 1909 flyer was longer than the 1903

in-flight "Trim" had not even been considered yet.

The Wrights were smart, methodical guys, but you can't expect them to think of everything at once....

add in just a little PIO and you get what you see.

BTW though Orville and Wilbur were "pioneers" there is no reason to suggest they they were the steadiest stick men to fly...

It could have been that they were as twitchy as a Rooster on Meth.