In an era of dirigibles and hot air balloons, the Wright Brothers were among the first innovators of heavier-than-air flight. Bit in the hotly competitive international race toward flight, Orville and Wilber were up against a lot more than bad weather./ Mechanical failures, lack of information, and even other aviators complicated the Wright Brothers' journey. But thanks to their carefully recorded experiments and a healthy dash of bravery, the Wright Brothers' flying machines took off.