Sir George Cayley 1773-1857 Sir George Cayley, a baron of Scarborough in 19th century England, was fascinated with science at an early age. He carried out the world’s first good aeronautical experiments by using a whirling-arm machine to create a constant wind. Cayley believed gliders and plane flight were the way of the future. Cayley is seen as the "father of aviation" for exploring and explaining the science of flight. He achieved all elements of flight using a glider but without an engine. As an interesting side note, Cayley also invented the bicycle wheel! He needed strong but light wheels for his aircraft so he invented the tension wheel still used in most bicycles today.

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