What has been the result of the first in flight controversy, to date?
The result has been that there is heated debate going on behind the scenes for the past 80 years, with a struggle to control the printed and (currently) online materials that emerge in the public eye. There are constant attempts to discredit Whitehead witnesses to flights and Whitehead researchers. A massive misinformation campaign about Whitehead has been launched by those defending the Wrights as first in flight. Visits to the a number of Wright proponents’ websites will produce a plethora of statements designed in large part by Orville Wright and his highly-placed associates in the 1930′s and 1940′s, to defend against losing the title he spent most of his life to obtain. Variations on that theme have continued through to the present date, as the now-obsolete “playbook” for Whitehead criticism.
However, there is a growing awareness of Whitehead as rightful owner of the title of “first in flight” and in 2013, the publisher of Jane’s All the World Aircraft and the state of CT recognized him as such, with extensive media coverage. With the help of the Internet and global media, where people can research and share information more readily, Whitehead information is expanding.