[delichon]

Bah, there's a report of an earlier one in Ovid's Metamorphoses from 8 CE.

http://messybeast.com/dragonqueen/icarus-accident.htm

[behehebd]

Article title says plane but in the text it says powered flight.

[emmelaich]

But not "non human-powered" flight? If Icarus flapped a little, that counts.

[Retric]

If you can’t maintain altitude without losing significant airspeed, you’re just falling.

[behehebd]

Even if you maintain both you can still be falling (orbits!)

[Retric]

Gravitational orbits lose energy over time. Not really relevant on human timescales but interesting trivia if nothing else.

[behehebd]

Due to friction? Or is it other physics?