The First Intercontinental Flight in History

Abbas ibn Firnas, a Spanish Muslim inventor of the 9th century managed to achieve un-powered glider flight in Cordoba in the 800s by building a set of wings covered in bird’s feathers...

The idea of humans having the ability to fly is an enchanting one. For thousands of years, people from all corners of the world have attempted to defy gravity and soar like birds. Abbas ibn Firnas, a Spanish Muslim inventor of the 9th century managed to achieve un-powered glider flight in Cordoba in the 800s by building a set of wings covered in bird’s feathers. While his attempt was successful, his inability to slow down led to a disastrous crash landing that probably discouraged further attempts by enterprising inventors like him.