Not deterred, the brothers spent the next two and half years keeping a low profile, while they obtained patents and worked out a marketing plan.

Keeping communications open with the Army, in 1908 they again offered to deliver an aircraft to the Army Signal Corps that would meet army specifications. First, however, they wanted a contract guaranteeing the army would purchase their airplane if it performed as promised. The army would not agree without a demonstration flight, which Wilbur and Orville were not about to do, so they had a Mexican standoff of sorts for a period of time.

Now that they had protected their work legally, Orville and Wilbur were ready to start building and testing airplanes again. They returned to Kill Devil Hills, NC in 1908, where they made history for a third time. On May 14, 1908, Wilbur and Orville each took turns flying their first passenger, a mechanic named Charlie Furnas, in the first two person airplane every built.

After this, Orville returned to Dayton to start working and testing a Flyer for the U.S. Signal Corps. Meanwhile, Wilbur sailed for France to see if the brothers could promote airplanes in Europe. This was the first time Wilbur and Orville were ever separated for more than a few days.

Orville's tests with the Army went well until September 17, 1908, when the Flyer piloted by Orville crashed, killing Signal Corps Officer Lt. Thomas Selfridge and seriously injuring Orville.

As Orville recovered from his injuries, Wilbur was taking Europe by storm. Things were beginning to look up for the Wright family. Katherine and Orville soon joined Wilbur in Europe, while Orville continue to recover from his injuries. People all over Europe flocked to aero fields by the hundreds to witness the miracle and the romance of flight for themselves. All over Europe, airplanes and flyers were popping up and setting records everywhere.

All three Wrights, Wilbur, Orville, and Katherine, spent much of 1908 and 1909 in Europe. During the tour, Wilbur trained several French and Italian pilots. In Pau, France, he garnered another "first" when he gave a flight to a news cameraman, who took the first motion pictures ever made from an airplane in flight.

Initially, Orville and Wilbur's popularity was greater in Europe than the U.S. However, word was slowly getting back to America. To this point, 1909 was the best year the Wright brothers had and is probably the year that aviation truly began. The world was finally beginning to take notice that airplanes really could fly.

In the spring of 1909, all three Wrights, Wilbur, Orville, and Katharine, began a triumphant journey home, stopping in Paris, London, New York, and Washington, where they were cheered by crowds and honored at countless banquets along the way.

On May 13, 1909, when their train pulled into Dayton, Ohio, they were met by thousands of people and driven home in glory. Riding in a carriage pulled by four beautiful white horses, they rode home with cannons booming thirty-one gun salutes, church bells pealing, and factory whistles tooting.