The Wright brothers were American inventors and pioneers of aviation. Their first airplane was a glider. Their first flight using an engine was in 1903 at Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Wilbur was 36 years old and Orville was only 32 years old when they flew their first successful flight. The brothers’ fundamental breakthrough was their invention of three-axis control, which enabled the pilot to steer the aircraft effectively and to maintain its equilibrium