What is the History of Aviation?
The history of aviation begins in 600 BCE or earlier in China, where people flew attached to large kites (as punishment). In the 5th century BCE, the inventor Lu Ban invented a “wooden bird,” the specifics of which were unknown, though it could have been a large kite or early glider. Hot air balloons with on-board lanterns were constructed in the 3rd century BCE in China, and were used to scare the enemy during battle. Human flight in a kite was again recorded as occurring in 559.