History: Did New Zealand Achieve The First Flight Before The Wright Brothers?

The first manned flight in the world took place in France on November 21st, 1783, by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes (in a balloon). The first powered flights took place in 1852 (also in a balloon or dirigible). Before the turn of the century, gliders had also been built. The first sustained, powered, heavier-than-air flying machine was the Wright Flyer of December 17th, 1903 – or was it? New Zealand sometimes claims to have been the first to have achieved this particular aviation milestone.