Wilbur Wright Autograph Letter Signed, Outlining Purchase Terms for Wright Flyers: "With an order of five machines we would teach an operator to use them"

Following successful Wright Flyer demonstrations in France, Wilbur outlines terms for their purchase: "We can furnish flyers similar to those used at Le Mans and Washington at a price of one thousand pounds sterling each"

ALS by Wilbur Wright, signed “Wright Brothers,” two pages on two adjoining sheets, 4.5 x 7, December 3, 1908. Handwritten letter from Le Mans, France, in full: "Replying to your letter of 25th November, I would say that we can furnish flyers similar to those used at Le Mans and Washington at a price of one thousand pounds sterling each. With an order of five machines we would teach an operator to use them without any additional charge. The machines could be delivered in about six months after order was placed." In fine condition, with some old mounting remnants on the back of the last page.

Penned at the height of the Wright Brothers’ triumphant 1908 European demonstrations, this letter from Le Mans captures a pivotal moment as powered flight transitioned from experimental marvel to commercial enterprise. Writing on behalf of the “Wright Brothers,” Wilbur Wright outlines pricing, delivery timelines, and even pilot training terms for their aircraft—the same type that were astonishing audiences in France and recently demonstrated in Washington, D.C. The letter reflects the growing international demand for powered flight and marks the Wrights' emergence not only as pioneering aviators, but as shrewd businessmen poised to shape the future of aviation on a global scale.