"A sudden dart when a little over a hundred feet from the end of the track, or a little over 120 feet from the point at which it rose into the air, ended the flight"

This quote is referring to the very first effective powered flight of an airplane, which was achieved by Orville Wright on December 17, 1903. The quote is explaining the moment when the airplane, which had actually been in the air for an overall of 12 seconds, pulled up. The aircraft had actually taken a trip an overall of 852 feet, and the quote is saying that the flight ended when the airplane was a little over 100 feet from completion of the track, or a little over 120 feet from the point at which it rose into the air. This minute marked a significant turning point in aviation history, as it was the very first time a powered, heavier-than-air machine had successfully flown. The Wright siblings had actually accomplished something that lots of thought was impossible, and this quote acts as a pointer of the extraordinary accomplishment they achieved.