George Cayley

British aeronautical engineer (1773–1857)

Sir George Cayley, 6th Baronet (27 December 1773 – 15 December 1857) was an English engineer, inventor and aviator. He was a pioneer of aeronautical engineering and is sometimes referred to as "the father of aviation", designing the first glider reliably reported to carry a human aloft. He is commonly credited as the first person to understand the underlying principles and forces of heavier-than-air flight: weight, lift, drag and thrust.

From Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA. More on occurri.