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Excerpt from A History of Aeronautics, by Evelyn Charles Vivian

'If I talked a lot,' said Wilbur Wright once, 'I should be like the
parrot, which is the bird that speaks most and flies least.' That
attitude is emblematic of the majority of the early fliers, and because
of it the record of their achievements is incomplete to-day. Ferber,
for instance, has left little from which to state what he did, and that
little is scattered through various periodicals, scrappily enough. A
French army officer, Captain Ferber was experimenting with monoplane
and biplane gliders at the beginning of the century-his work was
contemporary with that of the Wrights. He corresponded both with Chanute
and with the Wrights, and in the end he was commissioned by the
French Ministry of War to undertake the journey to America in order
to negotiate with the Wright Brothers concerning French rights in the
patents they had acquired, and to study their work at first hand.

Ferber's experiments in gliding began in 1899 at the Military School at
Fountainebleau, with a canvas glider of some 80 square feet supporting
surface, and weighing 65 lbs. Two years later he constructed a larger
and more satisfactory machine, with which he made numerous excellent
glides. Later, he constructed an apparatus which suspended a plane from
a long arm which swung on a tower, in order that experiments might be
carried out without risk to the experimenter, and it was not until 1905
that he attempted power-driven free flight. He took up the Voisin design
of biplane for his power-driven flights, and virtually devoted all his
energies to the study of aeronautics. His book, Aviation, its Dawn
and Development, is a work of scientific value--unlike many of his
contemporaries, Ferber brought to the study of the problems of flight a
trained mind, and he was concerned equally with the theoretical problems
of aeronautics and the practical aspects of the subject.

After Bleriot's successful cross-Channel flight, it was proposed to
offer a prize of L1,000 for the feat which C. S. Rolls subsequently
accomplished (starting from the English side of the Channel), a flight
from Boulogne to Dover and back; in place of this, however, an aviation
week at Boulogne was organised, but, although numerous aviators were
invited to compete, the condition of the flying grounds was such that
no competitions took place. Ferber was virtually the only one to do any
flying at Boulogne, and at the outset he had his first accident; after
what was for those days a good flight, he made a series of circles
with his machine, when it suddenly struck the ground, being partially
wrecked. Repairs were carried out, and Ferber resumed his exhibition
flights, carrying on up to Wednesday, September 22nd, 1909. On that day
he remained in the air for half an hour, and, as he was about to land,
the machine struck a mound of earth and overturned, pinning Ferber under
the weight of the motor. After being extricated, Ferber seemed to show
little concern at the accident, but in a few minutes he complained of
great pain, when he was conveyed to the ambulance shed on the ground.

Explanation ​

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from A History of Aeronautics by Evelyn Charles Vivian ​

This passage from A History of Aeronautics (1920) by Evelyn Charles Vivian—a British aviation historian and military officer—provides a biographical and technical account of Captain Ferdinand Ferber, a pioneering French aviator whose contributions to early flight were overshadowed by more famous figures like the Wright Brothers and Louis Blériot. The excerpt blends historical narrative, technical description, and tragic irony, offering insights into the challenges, risks, and scientific dedication of early aviation.

Context & Background ​

  1. The Book & Its Purpose

    • A History of Aeronautics (1920) is one of the first comprehensive histories of flight, covering ballooning, gliding, and powered aviation up to the post-WWI era.
    • Vivian, a Royal Flying Corps officer, wrote with firsthand knowledge of aviation’s military and technological evolution.
    • The book aims to document the unsung heroes of flight, many of whom left sparse records due to modesty, secrecy, or early deaths.

  2. Ferber’s Place in Aviation History

    • Captain Ferdinand Ferber (1862–1909) was a French army officer and aeronautical engineer who worked parallel to the Wright Brothers (1900–1905).
    • Unlike the Wrights, who were methodical and secretive, Ferber published his findings (e.g., Aviation, its Dawn and Development, 1908) and collaborated with other pioneers like Octave Chanute (a key mentor to the Wrights).
    • His work bridged gliding experiments (like Otto Lilienthal’s) and powered flight (like the Wrights’ and Blériot’s).

Themes in the Excerpt ​

  1. The Silence of Pioneers

    • The opening quote from Wilbur Wright—"If I talked a lot… I should be like the parrot, which is the bird that speaks most and flies least"—sets the tone.
    • Literary Device: Metaphor – The parrot symbolizes empty chatter vs. action, reflecting the Wrights’ (and Ferber’s) reticence to boast about their work.
    • Irony: Their silence led to incomplete historical records, making Vivian’s book an attempt to reconstruct lost narratives.

  2. Scientific Rigor vs. Practical Risk

    • Ferber is portrayed as a methodical scientist:
      • He progressed systematically from gliders (1899) to powered flight (1905).
      • He minimized risk (e.g., using a tower-suspended plane for safe experiments).
      • His book shows a balance of theory and practice, unlike many contemporaries who were either dreamers (e.g., Leonardo da Vinci’s unrealized designs) or daredevils (e.g., early balloonists).
    • Contrast with the Wrights: While the Wrights guarded their secrets, Ferber shared knowledge, embodying the open scientific tradition.

  3. The Perils of Early Flight

    • The Boulogne Aviation Week (1909) episode highlights the danger and unpredictability of early aviation:
      • Poor conditions cancelled competitions, yet Ferber flew anyway.
      • His first accident (a hard landing) was minor, but the second was fatal.
      • Dramatic Irony: He seemed unharmed at first ("showed little concern"), only to die shortly after—mirroring the sudden, arbitrary nature of early aviation deaths.
    • Symbolism: The overturned plane pinning him represents how technology both liberated and destroyed pioneers.

  4. Nationalism & Technological Exchange

    • Ferber’s 1905 trip to the U.S. to negotiate with the Wrights shows the global race for aviation dominance.
    • France and the U.S. were competing yet collaborating—Ferber’s mission was both diplomatic (securing patent rights) and scientific (learning from the Wrights).
    • Historical Context: By 1909, Blériot’s Channel crossing (July 1909) had made France a leader in aviation, but Ferber’s death that September marked the human cost of progress.

Literary Devices & Stylistic Choices ​

  1. Juxtaposition

    • Ferber’s intellect vs. his fatal accident: The passage shifts from praising his scientific mind to describing his gruesome death, emphasizing the fragility of human life in the face of technological ambition.
    • Gliding (controlled) vs. powered flight (dangerous): His early successful glides contrast with his later crashes, showing how power introduced new risks.

  2. Foreshadowing

    • The mention of his first accident ("partially wrecked") hints at the fatal second crash, building tension.
    • The aborted Boulogne competitions suggest the unpredictability of early aviation—both in weather and human fate.

  3. Technical Precision vs. Dramatic Narrative

    • Vivian lists specifications (e.g., "80 square feet supporting surface, 65 lbs") to ground the story in reality, but the accident scene is visceral and emotional.
    • The sudden shift from "carrying on up to Wednesday, September 22nd" to his death creates a jarring, tragic climax.

  4. Understatement

    • Ferber’s death is described matter-of-factly:
      • "the machine struck a mound of earth and overturned, pinning Ferber under the weight of the motor."
      • The lack of melodrama makes it more haunting, reflecting the stoic acceptance of risk in early aviation.

Significance of the Passage ​

  1. Humanizing the Pioneers

    • Unlike later mythologized figures (e.g., Lindbergh), Ferber is portrayed as a real, flawed, and brave individual—brilliant but mortal.
    • His death symbolizes the sacrifices behind aviation’s progress.

  2. The Cost of Innovation

    • The passage challenges the romanticized view of early flight, showing it as both exhilarating and deadly.
    • Ferber’s scientific approach didn’t save him, illustrating that even the most careful pioneers were vulnerable.

  3. Historical Gaps & the Historian’s Role

    • Vivian laments the incomplete records of figures like Ferber, emphasizing how history is shaped by what survives.
    • The excerpt serves as a corrective, ensuring Ferber’s contributions aren’t forgotten.

  4. Aviation as a Metaphor for Progress

    • The rise and fall of Ferber’s career mirrors the trial-and-error nature of technological advancement.
    • His story is a microcosm of the Aviation Age: daring, tragic, and transformative.

Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters ​

This excerpt is more than a biographical sketch—it’s a meditation on the nature of progress. Ferber embodies the unsung hero, whose work was essential yet overshadowed, whose genius was matched by vulnerability. Vivian’s blend of technical detail and tragic narrative makes the passage both informative and emotionally resonant, reminding readers that behind every great leap in history lie human stories of struggle, risk, and sometimes, ultimate sacrifice.

In the broader context of A History of Aeronautics, Ferber’s story challenges the idea of inevitable progress, showing that advancement is messy, costly, and often unpredictable—a lesson as relevant today as it was in 1920.