What is Taught: The first mention of man in flight was by Roger Bacon, who drew a flying apparatus. Leonardo da Vinci also conceived of airborne transport and drew several prototypes.

What Should be Taught: Abbas ibn Firnas of Islamic Spain invented, constructed, and tested a flying machine in the 9th century CE. Roger Bacon learned of flying machines from Arabic references to Firnas’ machine. The latter’s invention antedates Bacon by 500 years and Da Vinci by some 700 years.

Abbas ibn Firnas (810–887 CE)was the first person to make a real attempt to construct a flying machine and fly. In the 9th century he designed a winged apparatus, roughly resembling a bird costume. In his most famous trial near Cordoba in Spain, Firnas flew upward for a few moments, flying a considerable distance before falling to the ground and partially breaking his back. His designs would undoubtedly have been an inspiration for famed Italian artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci’s hundreds of years later.