Thank you THG! I'm from Timaru, just a few short kilometres Temuka. I can honestly say that I've never heard a foreigner talk about Richard Pearce. Again... Thank you.
@John Smith John he flew to the level of other people at the same time, the key difference being his concept of an aircraft was far more advanced than anyone else, Wright Brothers in particular.
I am proud to be a Kiwi but I am sure that part of what created these minds is the isolation from the rest of the world, you can no longer find in our country.
The enthusiasm of the presentation of the life of Richard Pearse or other unknown individuals is what makes THG unique in the YT history presenters category. Thank you, Sir.
I love this story! Sounds similar in some ways to John Britten and his V1000 motorcycle, hand built in a New Zealand shed and wins at Daytona. Another genius
@@oceanexploration : Another parallel; their sad endings. I'd dispute that Pearse was driven mad by any bullying over his flight. His death came five decades later.
Hated history when I was in school. How different my thinking would have been if I saw your videos back then. I'm 74 now and look forward to all your videos. Thank you for opening my eyes.
Once more a fine episode.Of course as a New Zealand aircraft engineer with a passion for history this man is well known to me! Pearse's memorial is a full scale mock up of his aircraft set on a metal plinth It is down an obscure country lane not far from his farm. At dusk when the light fades it looks like it is in flight. With only a little imagination you can hear the engine beat and see Pearse sat at the controls.
I've always had great admiration for people who follow their passion regardless of whether it leads them to fame or fortune. Even if they spend their entire lives scraping to get by, at least they're doing what interests them.
Richard Pearse didn't do too badly for himself, what went bad for him was the attitude of the people around him thinking that he was crazy because of his passion for invention.
Brilliant Presentation Thanks Mr History Guy. Although not as well known as Rutherford, Pickering or Halburg, Pearse has a special place in New Zealand History
You mentioned a place called Sunnyside in Christchurch, NZ - Annex Rd, I used to ride my bike past that fortified place when I was young, intrigued as it seemed mysterious, maybe haunted, a derelict mental asylum. Once a mate and I gathered the guts and curiosity to sneak/break into the place to explore. Very weird place. Seriously, there were boarded up windows, bottles of medication on the floor, and tables with restraints etc. Never forget that, it’s since been torn down. I hadn’t even heard of Richard Pearce back then! Love your work, and a proud Patreon, keep doing what you’re doing.
Dear David: his surname was Pearse. I mention this purely because you will have much better luck searching for further details. A good starting point is the wiki article, here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Pearse
No response needed, and I'm sure you know most/all of this already - but what really sets you and your channel apart is you are such a great storyteller. Your passion for these stories shines through; you are so very human in your videos, and it's a dose of fresh air. Many other "history" channels, both on TV and CZcams, are very sterile, or blatantly over-produced, making the production about "entertainment" because the rest of the "product" is so, so sterilized of humanity for the sake of being human. I hope that makes sense!! Thank you for the amazing work you do! Thank you for leaving the corporate gig that I'm sure was killing you slowly from within, and turning instead to this medium and vocation!
As an Aviation enthusiast, i thankyou Mr The History Guy for this episode of one of the pioneers of powered flight. It's History That Deserves To Be Remembered
once you start learning to fly.. you learn how simple the principles mechanisms are. Airplanes are really very simple contraptions. But it took Genius to figure out those principles and invent things like aelerons, flaps, wing shapes, propellers....
This man deserves to have a movie depicting his life. I've seen drawings of his airplanes but never knew anything about him until I stumbled onto this channel.
Thank you for telling me about Richard Pearse. The enthusiasm you speak of is indeed all important and is visibly present in your presentation. Thank you.
Thank you so much History Guy! I'm fortunate in that I have visited MOTAT (Museum of Transport and Technology). Richard Pearse is 'World famous in NZ' - the 'number 8 fencing wire' attitude was part of the early history for NZ due to the remoteness of our location and is still part of our national identity. I must get some photos together relating to the memorial dedicated to the USMC troops who perished in a training exercise while stationed in NZ during WWII. Bit of a trip, but happy to help source some material for you.
Thank you so much for adding our local hero to your always great videos Richard was an enigma and I think it is with a sense of regret that we didn't recognize his efforts at the time
It took human genius 99% of human history to make poor imitations of birds and bugs. Surely the genius of our Creator is beyond fathom. He even granted us a portion of genius that we could copy his birds one day.
I feel you're doing a great service to history by producing your videos like this one. Without you and your other video's, I and many like me would never know of a person like Richard Pearse and his contribution to history. I enjoy your channel and look forward to your narration and the videos. Thank You.
I remember watching an attempted recreation on the 100th anniversary of the flight in 2003 using a replica plane. People were of course disappointed when it didn't get into the air, but watching this I was reminded of all the innovations he came up with which would eventually become common.
I, and all of your viewers, are grateful you chose to pursue your vision for this CZcams channel! Unlike poor Richard, you had the assistance of family to make the dream come true. We are all richly blessed by your vision; learning things truly needing to be remembered! Blessings!
When I was in primary school we learnt about Richard Pearce, over the years I had forgotten it. As a Kiwi it's awesome to see this :) and all your other videos as well.
I spend my senior school years in New Zealand. Richard is wtell known there but unknown everywhere else. Thank you for shining some light on his story.
@@johnanon6938 December 17th, actually. My daughter was born on that day. It's a real shame that Richard Pearse was so isolated and could not get a proper education, although his isolation from established ideas may have given him the freedom to follow avenues of thought not common at the time. We'll never know what could have been, but it's fun to think about. And I think it would have been equally cool if the Wrights had traveled to New Zealand and met Mr. Pearse. I can only imagine as to the conversations held between them.
What a great subject! I did a middle school report back in the 80's about how Pearse's modesty subverted his due fame. He achieved flight, but blasted himself with so many excuses as to why it wasn't "actual flight", his self-deprecation has stuck with me all these years. Thank you for this episode.
Though the Wright brothers were indeed the first to successfully lift off and fly, their real innovation and success was understanding and perfecting controls to turn in the air. This was likely because they'd started in bicycles and understood lean and rear wheel skid. Pearse was a true gentleman and a great inventor regardless of others' successes, and your conclusion is entirely apt. Thank you for this segment.
Kia Ora. The story of Richard Pearse is well known here in New Zealand, and a road and airport are named after him. We're very proud of his achievements, and Kiwis generally believe that Pearse did fly a powered, heavier-than-air machine before the Wright brothers. HOWEVER we also accept that he did not exactly achieve 'controlled' flight. The Wright brothers deserve the credit for the world's first truly controlled flight (although any online search produces alternative points-of-view). It's certainly interesting to speculate about what Pearse could have achieved had he been able to share ideas, and work with, other early aviators around the world.
These diamonds of forgotten history are always delightful to find whenever I look and see a notification..... always informative, educational and most welcome.
As a kiwi and a huge aviation nerd as well as being a fan of Richard Pearse himself, I can not thank you enough for making this video and allowing his story reach out to people who might otherwise not know who Richard Pearse was. As ever THG, a top notch video as always. Keep up the great work.
I'll say it again: You're the best at what you do because you find the obscure, infuse it with passion, and then share it with just enough panache to keep your listeners enthralled--regardless of the topic. That, sir, is a talent.
There were many incremental steps to the invention and development of the airplane. Others did achieve powered flight before the Wright brothers. However, their flight in 1903 was the first powered controlled flight.
I really enjoy your and Heidi's videos! Thank you for your contributions to sharing history and making it entertaining! Your delivery is outstanding and attention holding!
Good ol' Richard Pearse - he definitely deserves to be remembered! This is one of the guys (along with Sir Edmund Hillary and Bill Hamilton - father of the jet-boat) who makes me proud to be a New Zealander! Please do an episode on Bill Pickering - a New Zealand-born rocket scientist who headed the JPL for 22 years!
"To Challenge The Hedges In Our Lives" what a true statement. Once again The History Guy lifts off with a episode of determination and vision, we all should admire. Thank you.
On top of this being the BEST channel on YT... I thought I'd say I like the new yellow on black radiation symbol way more than the old red on yellow one. While I appreciate all your historical artifacts in the background, the red on yellow just took too much attention for itself. Anyway... Thank you Mr. The History Guy! Thank you for stimulating my brain!
One thing I learned in my 7+ decades of living is that there is a great story behind every person I took the time to know. Richard Pearse is probably no exception, and factually we cannot celebrate the acomplishments of everyone on planet earth. We should however celebrate the fact that humans are progressive, and are capable of achieving any goal.
Thankyou Mr History Guy. Sure he was a modest nutter, wanting a shopping cart to fly to Timaru for the groceries. But as they say necessity is the mother of invention. For a man he was way ahead of his time. It will always be debated between Richard and your Wright Bros. However as you rightly stated he clearly came up with some world firsts such as being a monoplane, having ailerons, a variable prop etc. As he was once quoted its one thing to be able to make an aircraft. But it completely another to be able to fly it. This has been 1 of your best talks IMHO to date. a salute to you. Richard Pearse is up there with Burt Munroe, Sir Ed Hillary, Hamilton, and Lord Rutherford. We can turn on that ol Kiwi Magic once in every while. Cheers mate to you n Mrs HG and cats. God bless.
As a New Zealander, I am absolutely thrilled that you have acknowledged Richard Pearce. He was probably a product of his time in New Zealand, in as much as those who lived in rural communities, rarely had the opportunity to further their education. Who knows what RP could have achieved if he had lived in the city or Europe or the USA, or had the opportunity to further develop his engineering prowess.
I,m a New Zealander and Richard Pearse,s exploits are taught in school here, he is a well respected aviator, thanks for sharing with the rest of the world.
As a kiwi growing up post WW2 this contentious issue over whether a New Zealand man invented powered flight was part of growing up. The U. S. A. it seemed, cllaimed or if necessary stole rights to everything. And, to us, so it was with flight. I still feel that way. 'Americans are loud and arrogant'. VOversexed, overpayed and over here' Also a WW2 saying, 'When the british fly over, the Germans duck. When the Germans fly over, the British duck. But when the Americans fly over, EVERYBODY ducks'. A great and balanced telling of a favourite Kiwi icon. I never knew the details or how humble and understated Richard Pearce was. Thank you ❤
Thanks for the post, as a Kiwi I'm very proud of Richard's accomplishments. Some times I think being isolated, without modern day distractions produced some wonderful backyard engineering. Just a suggestion, you could look at the Hamilton jet boat propulsion, certainly opened up access to inland waters. I own a jet boat and they are cool as. Love my jet boat.
Some of your best work, which is saying something given how many excellent videos you have made. Your connection of that story to everyday life is absolutely top notch.
What great facts to bring to light. A genius working in a vacuum of his day and it’s only after his death that his work is appreciated. Thanks again for such a great history lesson. Keep up the great work!
It would seem Mr. Pearce's designs were ahead of his contemporaries by a great deal. It is entirely to his credit that he did all this with no backers, partners and most impressively, with no formal education. Most impressive indeed! Thanks, HG!
Hello history guy. I'm from a small area in Astoria Oregon and we have a lot of history but also a lot of unspoken history I loved what you did with fort Stevens I live a mile from it and never knew what happened to that base or if it ever saw action and as a commercial fisherman and charter boat deckhand I cross the mouth of the Columbia river everyday for my job. I also was wondering if you could do a small bit on our famous shanghaied in Astoria or something on our history of fishing here a lot of my customers and patrons I talk to when we take them out on fishing trips also have never known any of this and love what I have to tell them and it keeps them coming back every year because they always learn something new from me and a lot of it is because of you so I thank you... I've learned some about it but I'm sure there's a lot that they don't tell us and I'd love to know the true history behind Astoria Oregon or cape disappointment coast guard base
AT LAST, AN AMERICAN FINALLY ACKOWLEDGES RICHARD PEARSE - THE FIRST MAN IN THE WORLD TO FLY ! We in New Zealand have always known this, he was a pioneer, an aviator, and an amazing mechanic. If you come to Timaru, South Island New Zealand, You will find copies of his inventions in the Timaru Museum, for all to see. He was not a hoax, he was real, and his achievements should be given more creedence than he has garnered so far. Kia Kaha !!!
Hello THG. I have learnt a lot by watching your videos. You have turned a topic that was always, for me anyway, as interesting as watching paint dry into one that I find fascinating. I live in Christchurch, not far from one of the houses he built here. Temuka is pronounced "Tea moo ka". My old neighbour's father had the farm next door to him there and I am told saw him fly his plane into that hedge you mention. It is a small world! Of course, as a New Zealander, my opinion is that he was the first to fly, ahead of the Wright brothers!
Kia ora from Christchurch, New Zealand. I just want to say thank you for covering this topic. I love the idea of "Kiwi number 8 wire" mentality, just making do with what you have.
Před 5 lety
Love that idea al you wan't. It's bullshit when you look more into it. New Zealand is actually a pretty narrow minded place where things are often done not the best way and which usually looks to other anglophone nations to mimic.
Thanks as always for the great video but I really love the ending on this one. Thank you for that and inspiring us to challenge the hedges that surround us.
The passion you give to everyone of your stories was certainly felt in this episode. This is what makes THG such a great channel! Thank you for this amazing story!
I was born in Ashburton not far up from Temuka, & Richard was quite the legend with my father's telling of the kiwi that flew before the Wright brothers!
Richard Pearse had been hopping around with various short flights and crash landings in his first microlight style, combustion engine powered flying machines for several years before the Wright brothers had even managed to make a successful glider since the 1890s. In one flight witnessed in March 1902 he flew for almost one kilometre up a river at a height of 50-100 metres, but, due to the 'uncontrolled' landing on a stoney river bed surface was reluctant to count it as a 'successful' powered flight. At the time many inventors of flying machines around the world were racing to achieve the first powered take off and controlled landing of a powered aircraft, he read popular mechanics and similar magazines of the day and developed his own very unique two and four cylinder benzene engines that still to this day are a mystery as to how they worked without the normal type of air intakes and valves and apparently made use of both strokes of the pistons like a steam engine. He also invented a treadle-powered bicycle (a bit like the prinicple of treadles on old sewing machines) that could go faster than a normal pedal bike.
Good to see Richard Pearse recognized by someone outside of New Zealand.
What a beautiful homage to an oft overlooked man. From this New Zealander, thank you for sharing about one of our favourite under-dogs.
dufis
Thank you THG! I'm from Timaru, just a few short kilometres Temuka.
I can honestly say that I've never heard a foreigner talk about Richard Pearce. Again... Thank you.
Or trying to say Temuka
@@glynncleaver7398 tay MOO ka
@@rjlchristie Most people just tim-ooka, with no particularly stressed syllable at all.
I have been to New Zealand many times and Richard Pearse is a famous man there, I have read about him, good to see you speak of him thank you.
@John Smith John he flew to the level of other people at the same time, the key difference being his concept of an aircraft was far more advanced than anyone else, Wright Brothers in particular.
I am proud to be a Kiwi but I am sure that part of what created these minds is the isolation from the rest of the world, you can no longer find in our country.
The enthusiasm of the presentation of the life of Richard Pearse or other unknown individuals is what makes THG unique in the YT history presenters category. Thank you, Sir.
totally agree
Well said
YES!!!!!
Yes. the passion shines through. glorious. Thanks!
An 'unknown' individual who beat the Wright brothers to powered flight and invented the world's first microlight.
The respect and compassion you give to the more obscure of history is darn right admirable Mr History Guy. Thank you.
I couldn't have put it better!
I love this story! Sounds similar in some ways to John Britten and his V1000 motorcycle, hand built in a New Zealand shed and wins at Daytona. Another genius
@ True, but I didn't say they were parallels. I said they were similar in some ways. You are correct.
@@oceanexploration : Another parallel; their sad endings. I'd dispute that Pearse was driven mad by any bullying over his flight. His death came five decades later.
Hated history when I was in school. How different my thinking would have been if I saw your videos back then. I'm 74 now and look forward to all your videos. Thank you for opening my eyes.
There is so much in history we’re the ‘little guy’ doesn’t get the proper recognition they deserve until someone shines a light on them
Once more a fine episode.Of course as a New Zealand aircraft engineer with a passion for history this man is well known to me!
Pearse's memorial is a full scale mock up of his aircraft set on a metal plinth
It is down an obscure country lane not far from his farm.
At dusk when the light fades it looks like it is in flight.
With only a little imagination you can hear the engine beat and see Pearse sat at the controls.
I've always had great admiration for people who follow their passion regardless of whether it leads them to fame or fortune. Even if they spend their entire lives scraping to get by, at least they're doing what interests them.
Richard Pearse didn't do too badly for himself, what went bad for him was the attitude of the people around him thinking that he was crazy because of his passion for invention.
Brilliant Presentation Thanks Mr History Guy. Although not as well known as Rutherford, Pickering or Halburg, Pearse has a special place in New Zealand History
Bro we are the shit!
..."challenge the hedges that surround our lives."
A classic History Guy line.
You mentioned a place called Sunnyside in Christchurch, NZ - Annex Rd, I used to ride my bike past that fortified place when I was young, intrigued as it seemed mysterious, maybe haunted, a derelict mental asylum. Once a mate and I gathered the guts and curiosity to sneak/break into the place to explore. Very weird place. Seriously, there were boarded up windows, bottles of medication on the floor, and tables with restraints etc. Never forget that, it’s since been torn down. I hadn’t even heard of Richard Pearce back then! Love your work, and a proud Patreon, keep doing what you’re doing.
Dear David: his surname was Pearse. I mention this purely because you will have much better luck searching for further details. A good starting point is the wiki article, here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Pearse
TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE BOTTLES OF MEDICATION 😝
No response needed, and I'm sure you know most/all of this already - but what really sets you and your channel apart is you are such a great storyteller. Your passion for these stories shines through; you are so very human in your videos, and it's a dose of fresh air. Many other "history" channels, both on TV and CZcams, are very sterile, or blatantly over-produced, making the production about "entertainment" because the rest of the "product" is so, so sterilized of humanity for the sake of being human. I hope that makes sense!!
Thank you for the amazing work you do! Thank you for leaving the corporate gig that I'm sure was killing you slowly from within, and turning instead to this medium and vocation!
Paul Deck amen! Passion, that stirs the soul, and drives us to beg for more....a wonderful human condition that.....
Mum always said .. " watch the werido next door he steals the rhubarb "
I've said it before and I'll say it again: you are *really* good at this.
Wonderful video. Balanced take on Pearse that he would be proud of.
As an Aviation enthusiast, i thankyou Mr The History Guy for this episode of one of the pioneers of powered flight.
It's History That Deserves To Be Remembered
once you start learning to fly.. you learn how simple the principles mechanisms are. Airplanes are really very simple contraptions. But it took Genius to figure out those principles and invent things like aelerons, flaps, wing shapes, propellers....
What I really love about your videos, Sir, is that you sit there and talk directly to me. Very engaging. Keep up the great work.
HG you have nailed it again. Those pesky Kiwis are capable of anything.
That's why their sheep are some of the fastest in the world, second only to Wales.
@@Simonsvids NZers concede the title of fastest sheep to the Australians.
Leave our blondes alone ! 🤨
Kiwi 🥝 🇳🇿 pioneering
@@Simonsvids true, we shag em others eat em :-)
This man deserves to have a movie depicting his life. I've seen drawings of his airplanes but never knew anything about him until I stumbled onto this channel.
There have been a couple produced in Australia
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel I would love to see them on American tv....possibly PBS. The best source for historical documentaries.
Thank you for telling me about Richard Pearse. The enthusiasm you speak of is indeed all important and is visibly present in your presentation. Thank you.
Thank you so much History Guy! I'm fortunate in that I have visited MOTAT (Museum of Transport and Technology). Richard Pearse is 'World famous in NZ' - the 'number 8 fencing wire' attitude was part of the early history for NZ due to the remoteness of our location and is still part of our national identity.
I must get some photos together relating to the memorial dedicated to the USMC troops who perished in a training exercise while stationed in NZ during WWII. Bit of a trip, but happy to help source some material for you.
Just poured my first cup of coffee, was waiting for this before I shower and get ready for the day. Like clockwork, I love it!
Another great video. I appreciate the thought, and philosophy, that is put into it.
Thank you so much for adding our local hero to your always great videos
Richard was an enigma and I think it is with a sense of regret that we didn't recognize his efforts at the time
"If God had meant man to fly He would have given us wings!"
He *did* give us wings. There was just some assembly required.
Give credit where credit is due: Some Humans invented flying machines.
God couldn't have. God is merely also invented by some humans.
God didn't give us wings.
He gave us the talents to make
our own wings.
steve
It took human genius 99% of human history to make poor imitations of birds and bugs. Surely the genius of our Creator is beyond fathom. He even granted us a portion of genius that we could copy his birds one day.
@@jamesengland7461 We were given dominon over all Land, Sea and Air after all.
Thanks for covering my countryman. I like your channel but never expected to see Richard Pearse appear.
My day is incomplete without a shot of knowledge from THE HISTORY GUY.
I feel you're doing a great service to history by producing your videos like this one. Without you and your other video's, I and many like me would never know of a person like Richard Pearse and his contribution to history. I enjoy your channel and look forward to your narration and the videos. Thank You.
Totally shrrr
I meant totally agree.
Fantastic closing line! If you wrote it beforehand, you executed it perfectly. And this from an descendant of Wilbur and Orville...
Your right,you've probably been right a long time😁. Nice to see your comment.
To challenge the hedges that surround our lives. Dude you are an amazing writer.
I remember watching an attempted recreation on the 100th anniversary of the flight in 2003 using a replica plane. People were of course disappointed when it didn't get into the air, but watching this I was reminded of all the innovations he came up with which would eventually become common.
I, and all of your viewers, are grateful you chose to pursue your vision for this CZcams channel! Unlike poor Richard, you had the assistance of family to make the dream come true. We are all richly blessed by your vision; learning things truly needing to be remembered! Blessings!
When I was in primary school we learnt about Richard Pearce, over the years I had forgotten it. As a Kiwi it's awesome to see this :) and all your other videos as well.
that's the power of ambition, you may not reach the moon, but at least you take your foots from the ground.
Great as usual. Carry on.
I spend my senior school years in New Zealand. Richard is wtell known there but unknown everywhere else. Thank you for shining some light on his story.
@uncletigger my secondary schools were Rongotai College & Hawera High School. University was Massey
One of your most inspiring films yet. Thank you!
Wow! Thank you for bring a hardly known peace history to light.
Great info. Being an aviation nut and having worked on aircraft in the Navy I love stories like this!
Bravo again History Guy!! I am an aviation affectionate and yet again I learned something new watching your video(s).. well done Sir well done.
Imagine if Richard Pearse had journeyed to Kitty Hawk the way Burt Munro traveled to Bonneville...
@@johnanon6938 December 17th, actually. My daughter was born on that day. It's a real shame that Richard Pearse was so isolated and could not get a proper education, although his isolation from established ideas may have given him the freedom to follow avenues of thought not common at the time. We'll never know what could have been, but it's fun to think about. And I think it would have been equally cool if the Wrights had traveled to New Zealand and met Mr. Pearse. I can only imagine as to the conversations held between them.
Thanks for this.
Gotta say, the dismissal of Pearse and his vision is classic NZ.
Watch this space
The land of the tall poppy syndrome. Only footy players are allowed to be clever.
Just love these videos. Wonderful sentiment in closing.
Thank you as always, for your in depth historic stories...
What a great subject! I did a middle school report back in the 80's about how Pearse's modesty subverted his due fame. He achieved flight, but blasted himself with so many excuses as to why it wasn't "actual flight", his self-deprecation has stuck with me all these years. Thank you for this episode.
Though the Wright brothers were indeed the first to successfully lift off and fly, their real innovation and success was understanding and perfecting controls to turn in the air. This was likely because they'd started in bicycles and understood lean and rear wheel skid. Pearse was a true gentleman and a great inventor regardless of others' successes, and your conclusion is entirely apt. Thank you for this segment.
You, sir are a most marvelous teller of historical tales...
Simply inspired presentation. You bring history to life. Thanks.
Shakkers 🇬🇧
Wonderfully related. Thank you for another engrossing view of our history.
So Kiwis can fly! An amazing mind
Haha. Nice one.
I hope Richard Pearse called his plane the Kiwi.
Richard Pearce a man well known in New Zealand, but hardly heard of outside our country - thanks for sharing this snippet of history.
I sware I could watch you all day. Wish you where my teacher when I was in high school.
I really enjoy your passion and presentation. Thank You !
Kia Ora. The story of Richard Pearse is well known here in New Zealand, and a road and airport are named after him. We're very proud of his achievements, and Kiwis generally believe that Pearse did fly a powered, heavier-than-air machine before the Wright brothers. HOWEVER we also accept that he did not exactly achieve 'controlled' flight. The Wright brothers deserve the credit for the world's first truly controlled flight (although any online search produces alternative points-of-view).
It's certainly interesting to speculate about what Pearse could have achieved had he been able to share ideas, and work with, other early aviators around the world.
"Challenge the hedges that surround our life", well written, well spoken.
These diamonds of forgotten history are always delightful to find whenever I look and see a notification..... always informative, educational and most welcome.
History Guy... Your passion for history... Shows very much in this story about Richard Pearse... Thank you...
Thanks , this is really history deserves to be remembered .
Poor guy, thanks new zealand!
R. from Amsterdam
You're most welcome :)
As a retired Kiwi aircraft engineer and airline pilot I've always wondered about the veracity of this legend. A very interesting story!
As a kiwi and a huge aviation nerd as well as being a fan of Richard Pearse himself, I can not thank you enough for making this video and allowing his story reach out to people who might otherwise not know who Richard Pearse was. As ever THG, a top notch video as always. Keep up the great work.
Your stories about aviation and navigation are right in my wheelhouse (cockpit?)!
Wow you are so good at finding real gems of history👍
Truly lives up to History That Deserves To Be Remembered. Thank you so much !
I'll say it again: You're the best at what you do because you find the obscure, infuse it with passion, and then share it with just enough panache to keep your listeners enthralled--regardless of the topic. That, sir, is a talent.
Wow, that poor guy. I really like the cut of his jib, he had amazing ideas too.
That’s a new one on me. Cool info.
I only recently learned about Gustav Whitehead. He really might have flown before the Wrights.
i would like a History Guy on Gustav Whitehead of Bridgeport, please.
There were many incremental steps to the invention and development of the airplane. Others did achieve powered flight before the Wright brothers. However, their flight in 1903 was the first powered controlled flight.
As arguably Pearse did as well. An unfortunate side of being a Kiwi is not wanting any attention, in fact the opposite.
Love your passion of history, and the way you tell stories is beyond compare. My daughter is studying history and will be a senior at UNC this fall.
Men in sheds! the greatest inventors.
I really enjoy your and Heidi's videos! Thank you for your contributions to sharing history and making it entertaining! Your delivery is outstanding and attention holding!
Good ol' Richard Pearse - he definitely deserves to be remembered!
This is one of the guys (along with Sir Edmund Hillary and Bill Hamilton - father of the jet-boat) who makes me proud to be a New Zealander!
Please do an episode on Bill Pickering - a New Zealand-born rocket scientist who headed the JPL for 22 years!
This episode was particularly inspiring. Thank you.
"To Challenge The Hedges In Our Lives" what a true statement. Once again The History Guy lifts off with a episode of determination and vision, we all should admire. Thank you.
On top of this being the BEST channel on YT... I thought I'd say I like the new yellow on black radiation symbol way more than the old red on yellow one. While I appreciate all your historical artifacts in the background, the red on yellow just took too much attention for itself. Anyway... Thank you Mr. The History Guy! Thank you for stimulating my brain!
LOL that is some real detailed set watching
Your are a gem HG.... keep up the GREAT work! From Strathroy Ontario
One thing I learned in my 7+ decades of living is that there is a great story behind every person I took the time to know. Richard Pearse is probably no exception, and factually we cannot celebrate the acomplishments of everyone on planet earth. We should however celebrate the fact that humans are progressive, and are capable of achieving any goal.
Another great story, H. G. Love every one. Thank you.
Bravo! Loved the lesson and your passion!
Thankyou Mr History Guy. Sure he was a modest nutter, wanting a shopping cart to fly to Timaru for the groceries. But as they say necessity is the mother of invention. For a man he was way ahead of his time. It will always be debated
between Richard and your Wright Bros. However as you rightly stated he clearly came up with some world firsts such as being a monoplane, having ailerons, a variable prop etc. As he was once quoted its one thing to be able to make an aircraft. But it completely another to be able to fly it. This has been 1 of your best talks IMHO to date. a salute to you. Richard Pearse is up there with Burt Munroe, Sir Ed Hillary, Hamilton, and Lord Rutherford. We can turn on that ol Kiwi Magic once in every while. Cheers mate to you n Mrs HG and cats. God bless.
As a New Zealander, I am absolutely thrilled that you have acknowledged Richard Pearce. He was probably a product of his time in New Zealand, in as much as those who lived in rural communities, rarely had the opportunity to further their education. Who knows what RP could have achieved if he had lived in the city or Europe or the USA, or had the opportunity to further develop his engineering prowess.
I,m a New Zealander and Richard Pearse,s exploits are taught in school here, he is a well respected aviator, thanks for sharing with the rest of the world.
As a kiwi growing up post WW2 this contentious issue over whether a New Zealand man invented powered flight was part of growing up.
The U. S. A. it seemed, cllaimed or if necessary stole rights to everything. And, to us, so it was with flight. I still feel that way. 'Americans are loud and arrogant'. VOversexed, overpayed and over here'
Also a WW2 saying, 'When the british fly over, the Germans duck. When the Germans fly over, the British duck. But when the Americans fly over, EVERYBODY ducks'.
A great and balanced telling of a favourite Kiwi icon. I never knew the details or how humble and understated Richard Pearce was.
Thank you ❤
Very nicely done. I am prior usaf and work at klvk airport. Very moving story. Thank you.
Thanks for the post, as a Kiwi I'm very proud of Richard's accomplishments. Some times I think being isolated, without modern day distractions produced some wonderful backyard engineering.
Just a suggestion, you could look at the Hamilton jet boat propulsion, certainly opened up access to inland waters. I own a jet boat and they are cool as. Love my jet boat.
Some of your best work, which is saying something given how many excellent videos you have made. Your connection of that story to everyday life is absolutely top notch.
What great facts to bring to light. A genius working in a vacuum of his day and it’s only after his death that his work is appreciated.
Thanks again for such a great history lesson.
Keep up the great work!
"...the inspiration; the vision; to challenge the hedges that surround our li(ves)."
A brilliant summation, Mr. History Guy.
Great episode. Between you and Jay Leno's Garage I gain knowledge, perspective, and a bit of joy.
It really doesn't matter who was first in flight be thankful we have men like them to remember.
Visionaries and mental instability, seem to go hand in hand. It is taking 'other worldly' thinking, to become a genius.
It would seem Mr. Pearce's designs were ahead of his contemporaries by a great deal. It is entirely to his credit that he did all this with no backers, partners and most impressively, with no formal education. Most impressive indeed!
Thanks, HG!
Hello history guy. I'm from a small area in Astoria Oregon and we have a lot of history but also a lot of unspoken history I loved what you did with fort Stevens I live a mile from it and never knew what happened to that base or if it ever saw action and as a commercial fisherman and charter boat deckhand I cross the mouth of the Columbia river everyday for my job. I also was wondering if you could do a small bit on our famous shanghaied in Astoria or something on our history of fishing here a lot of my customers and patrons I talk to when we take them out on fishing trips also have never known any of this and love what I have to tell them and it keeps them coming back every year because they always learn something new from me and a lot of it is because of you so I thank you... I've learned some about it but I'm sure there's a lot that they don't tell us and I'd love to know the true history behind Astoria Oregon or cape disappointment coast guard base
AT LAST, AN AMERICAN FINALLY ACKOWLEDGES RICHARD PEARSE - THE FIRST MAN IN THE WORLD TO FLY ! We in New Zealand have always known this, he was a pioneer, an aviator, and an amazing mechanic. If you come to Timaru, South Island New Zealand, You will find copies of his inventions in the Timaru Museum, for all to see. He was not a hoax, he was real, and his achievements should be given more creedence than he has garnered so far. Kia Kaha !!!
Hello THG. I have learnt a lot by watching your videos. You have turned a topic that was always, for me anyway, as interesting as watching paint dry into one that I find fascinating.
I live in Christchurch, not far from one of the houses he built here. Temuka is pronounced "Tea moo ka". My old neighbour's father had the farm next door to him there and I am told saw him fly his plane into that hedge you mention. It is a small world!
Of course, as a New Zealander, my opinion is that he was the first to fly, ahead of the Wright brothers!
Do a video on Burt munroe another nz hero.
World's Fastest Indian. Definitely need a THG look at because the movie glosses over so much.
I particularly enjoyed this episode. Keep up the great work!
Kia ora from Christchurch, New Zealand. I just want to say thank you for covering this topic. I love the idea of "Kiwi number 8 wire" mentality, just making do with what you have.
Love that idea al you wan't.
It's bullshit when you look more into it. New Zealand is actually a pretty narrow minded place where things are often done not the best way and which usually looks to other anglophone nations to mimic.
@ interesting comment, could you elaborate.
Thanks as always for the great video but I really love the ending on this one. Thank you for that and inspiring us to challenge the hedges that surround us.
The passion you give to everyone of your stories was certainly felt in this episode. This is what makes THG such a great channel! Thank you for this amazing story!
I was born in Ashburton not far up from Temuka, & Richard was quite the legend with my father's telling of the kiwi that flew before the Wright brothers!
Richard Pearse had been hopping around with various short flights and crash landings in his first microlight style, combustion engine powered flying machines for several years before the Wright brothers had even managed to make a successful glider since the 1890s. In one flight witnessed in March 1902 he flew for almost one kilometre up a river at a height of 50-100 metres, but, due to the 'uncontrolled' landing on a stoney river bed surface was reluctant to count it as a 'successful' powered flight. At the time many inventors of flying machines around the world were racing to achieve the first powered take off and controlled landing of a powered aircraft, he read popular mechanics and similar magazines of the day and developed his own very unique two and four cylinder benzene engines that still to this day are a mystery as to how they worked without the normal type of air intakes and valves and apparently made use of both strokes of the pistons like a steam engine. He also invented a treadle-powered bicycle (a bit like the prinicple of treadles on old sewing machines) that could go faster than a normal pedal bike.