For Dad Thank you for your constant love and support And a special ALOHA for settling in Hawaii during my formative years -MD For Moon Your constant support made this book happen DH ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A special thanks to Sarah Venditti who helped this project get started to Johannes Fuchs an amazing translator whose professionalism insight and boundless enthusiasm made this book possible and Peter Busse and Bernd Lukasch the current and former directors of the Otto Lilienthal Museum in Anklam Germany whose expertise and knowledge helped make this book as accurate as it could be
Otto’s breath came in ragged gasps as he struggled up the slope A pair of huge wings weighed heavily on his arms Twice the fourteen-year-old had dashed downhill leaping and flapping Twice the force of gravity had held him earthbound crushing his dream of soaring skyward
Otto trudged up the last few feet as stars sparkled above his hometown of Anklam Germany He and his brother Gustav who was almost a year and a half younger practiced flying at night so nobody would laugh at them
