History of science: Abbas Ibn Firnas, The First Man To Fly Ever

Abbas Ibn Firnas was born in the 9th century in Izn-Rand-onda Al Andalusia the present day Ronda, Spain but spent most of his adult life in the Emerate of Cordota, one of the biggest learning hubs during the Umayyad caliphate dynasty.

In 875 century, at the age of 65 to 70, Ibn Firnas attempted to fly using a hang glider he manufactured made of feathers and wood, after hours of observing the bird's behaviours in flight. Ibn Firnas flew for several minutes, gliding on the air currents like raptor for 10 minutes, the flight left him disappointed and injured. He later realised his mistakes for neglecting mechanics of landing which couldn't balance his flight in air culminating crashed landing.

In another 12 years he lived after the abortive attempts, Ibn Firnas realised that slow landing is achieved through collaborative effort between tail and wings, conclusion he reached after decades of researches of bird flight and their landings brought series of development in aviation industry.

Ibn Firnas known as the first man to ever flight, he was also invented the first water clock, advised means of manufacturing glass, developed the idea of a chain of rings which could be used to display planets and stars motions, developed a process of cutting rock crystal where Spain then couldn't need to export to Egypt but could finish it in Spain.

Abbas Ibn Firnas was a polymath, an inventor, astronomer, physician, chemist, an Engineer and an Arab poet.

Histories account that Al Firnas was influenced by Armen Firman who was neither a scientist nor polymath but an observer of nature. The Firman was the first to build wings made from wooden planks covered with silk and bird feathers.

Firman climbed to the top of tallest mosque mineret in Qurtuba in early 850s and jumped off wearing the wings. His attempt failed plummeted to Earth, the flying machine inflated and slowed his descent without injury and his delay of landing proved evidence of life savings.

Ibn Firnas and crowd of people gathered to watch Firman's adventure, fascinated the crowd watching skies above in amasement. When Ibn Firnas impressed with Firman's development, he began to realise the need for further investigation in the act of flying in air.

Ibn Firnas studied birds' different flying  patterns for about 25 years, constructed own flying machine and jumped off Jabal Al Arus in Yemen.

After centuries of his efforts and others, an Othman Turk Ahmed Celebi flew successfully and landed across the Bosphorus in 1630.

Ibn Firnas still considered to be at the forefront of his field, he was the first aviator to fly with a heavier  air machine.

He died between 890 and 895 AD and the caused of his death according to historians was as a result of ilandings brought series of development in aviation industry.

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