Today is April 24 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is “How often do you ask for help?”
In 1878, brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright received a toy helicopter with twirling blades powered by a rubber band as a gift from their father. This toy sparked their interest in flight. After designing and building a printing press, the brothers opened a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio.
By 1896, the pair had manufactured their own brand of bicycles and turned their attention toward flight. Between 1900 and 1902, the brothers experimented with kites, gliders, and a wind tunnel and on December 17, 1903 flew the first successful heavier-than-air powered aircraft near Kill Devil Hills, about four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Throughout their work on the airplane, the Wright brothers pioneered wind tunnel designs and tests as shared space for flight design where they could collaborate with each other as well as those interested in supporting their vision. Along the way the Wright brothers enlisted the help of many people.
For example, in a letter to the Smithsonian Institution, Wilbur wrote ““I am an enthusiast, but not a crank in the sense that I have some pet theories as to the proper construction of a flying machine. I wish to avail myself of all that is already known and then if possible add my mite to help on the future worker who will attain final success.”
After collecting reference material from the Smithsonian and other sources, the Wright brothers began studying their predecessors. They were surprised to learn that, despite humanity’s centuries-old interest in flight, little progress had been made in aeronautics before 1800. Until that time, few trained scientists or mechanics thought it a sensible undertaking.
Latin American civil rights activist César Estrada Chávez noted “You are never strong enough that you don’t need help.”
The Wright brothers asked for help and changed the course of history. How often do you ask for help?