Otto Lilienthal Quotes

Germany, Aerospace Engineer
May 23, 1848 – August, 10, 1896.

Otto Lilienthal (23 May 1848 – 10 August 1896) was a German pioneer of aviation who became known as the flying man. He was the first person to make well-documented, repeated, successful flights with unpowered airplanes. Newspapers and magazines published photographs of Lilienthal gliding, favorably influencing public and scientific opinion about the possibility of flying machines becoming practical. On 9 August 1896, his glider stalled and he was unable to regain control. Falling from about 15 m (50 ft), he broke his neck and died the next day, 10 August 1896.

Also known as Engineer, Aviator, Inventor

To invent an airplane is nothing. To build one is something. But to fly is everything.

Otto Lilienthal
- Fly
- Nothing
- Airplane
Experience alone can teach us the best forms of construction for sailing apparatus in order that they may be of sufficient strength, very light, and most easily managed.

Otto Lilienthal
- May
- Experience
- Light

The maintenance of equilibrium in forward flight is a matter of practice, and can only be learned by repeated personal experiment.

Otto Lilienthal
- Practice
The difficulty of rising into the air increases rapidly with the size of the apparatus. The uplifting of a single person, therefore, is more easily attained than that of a large flying machine loaded with several persons.

Otto Lilienthal
- Single
- Air
- Flying
The supporting powers of time air and of the wind depend on the shape of the surfaces used, and the best forms can only be evolved by free flight through the air.

Otto Lilienthal
- Time
- Free
- Air
The increasing size of the apparatus makes the construction more difficult in securing lightness in the machine; therefore the building of small apparatus is to be recommended.

Otto Lilienthal
- Small
Actual practice in individual flight presents the best prospects for developing our capacity until it leads to perfected free flight.

Otto Lilienthal
- Free
- Practice
Gradual development of flight should begin with the simplest apparatus and movements, and without time complication of dynamic means.

Otto Lilienthal
- Time

By practice and experience a man can (if the wind be of the right strength) imitate the complete sailing flight of birds by availing himself of the slight upward trend of some winds, by performing circling sweeps, and by allowing the air to carry him.

Otto Lilienthal
- Experience
- Practice
- Air
The contrivances which are necessary to counteract the wind effects can only be understood by actual practice in the wind.

Otto Lilienthal
- Practice
- Wind
The sailing flight of birds is the only form of flight which is carried on for some length of time without the expenditure of power.

Otto Lilienthal
- Time
- Power
- Sailing
All flight is based upon producing air pressure, all flight energy consists in overcoming air pressure.

Otto Lilienthal
- Energy
- Air
- Overcoming