Wilbur's desire to fly was inspired by the German glider Otto Lilienthal.  He started to read everything he could about aviation.  Wilbur, along with his brother Orville, wanted to solve the problem that every would-be flyers had:  "a simple system that twisted, or warped the wings of a biplane, causing it to roll right and left."  This system was tested in a kite and then on gliders.

    From 1900-1901, test flights were made at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina but failed to perform.  The gliders were not fully controllable.  During the winter of 1901, Wilbur devised a wind tunnel that helped determined what the best wing shape for an airplane would be.  The Wright glider in 1902 was the first successful aircraft that had controls to roll the wings right or left, pitch the nose up or down, and yaw the nose from side to side.  The accomplishment of the plane led the entire aerospace business to depend upon this idea.
                                          The 1902 Glider

Wilbur preparing to take off.

   With help from Wilbur's mechanic, Charlie Taylor, the gasoline engine was built light and powerful enough to propel an airplane in 1903.  Also during this year, Wilbur, with help from Charlie and Orville, devised the "first true airplane propellers."  Although weather and propeller problems held Wilbur back, him and his brother were still able to pull ahead and be the first to make a sustained, controlled flight in a powered aircraft on December 17, 1903.

    Today, the Wright Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton is home to where test flights were made by Wilbur. It took hard work and determination during 1903-1905 to configure the controls and engine of the airplane.  In 1905, Wilbur, going from flying in a straight line for less than a minute, could loop around over the base and stay up for over half on hour or until fuel ran out.  This 1905 Wright flyer was the "world's first practical airplane."

In 1908, Wilbur shocked France with the ability of flight.

1892 Open bike shop

       1899-1902 Build and test kites
         and gliders

1903 Pilot first manned,
     powered flights of
       heavier-than-air craft

 1906 Establish patents on
        airplane-control system

   1908 Contract to manufacture
          planes for U.S. Army

           1912 Wilbur dies of typhoid

by:  Heather Singletary

References:
http://www.time.com/time/time100/scientist/profile/wright03.html
http://wright.nasa.gov/wilbur.htm
http://www.first-to-fly.com/History/Wright%20Story/wright%20story.htm