With this final long, sustained effort, there was no question the Wrights had flown. As the brothers and the others present discussed the long flight, a gust of wind overturned the Wright Flyer and sent it tumbling across the sand. The aircraft was severely damaged and never flown again.

No, the 1903 Wright Flyer—the world's first successful powered airplane—is not flying and has not flown since its historic day on December 17, 1903. After its fourth and final flight of that day, a heavy gust of wind caught the aircraft while it was on the ground, tumbling it over and causing severe damage to its frame and engine. The Wright brothers never repaired it for flight again. Instead, it was eventually restored and is now a permanent, priceless exhibit at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. While it is no longer airworthy, its "DNA" lives on in modern aviation. Interestingly, in 2021, a tiny piece of the 1903 Wright Flyer's wing fabric was attached to the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, meaning while the "first plane" is grounded on Earth, a part of it has technically "flown" on another planet, cementing its legacy as the ancestor of all flight.

That’s an interesting question, but it’s a bit like asking “Is the first car still driving?” The answer is no, but the story is more nuanced.

The Wright Flyer (the Wright brothers’ first successful powered aircraft from 1903) is not flying. It exists as a meticulously preserved museum exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

Here’s a breakdown of why it’s not flying and what happened to other “firsts”:

1. The Original 1903 Wright Flyer

• Fate: It was badly damaged by wind just after its historic flights at Kitty Hawk. The wreckage was stored and later restored.
• Current Status: It is the centerpiece of the National Air and Space Museum. It’s far too fragile and historically priceless to ever fly again. It last “flew” as a passenger on the ocean liner Mauretania in 1928 when Orville Wright sent it to a museum in London, and it was returned to the U.S. after World War II.

2. The Concept of “First” is Complex

• First in Service: If you mean the first model of aircraft that entered continuous service or production, those are also long retired. For example, the Blériot XI (first to cross the English Channel, 1909) exists in museums.
• First Airliner: The Benoist XIV (1914, first scheduled airline) is gone.
• First Jet Airliner: The de Havilland Comet (1952) is retired, though a few are preserved.

What IS Still Flying?

Many very old aircraft still fly today thanks to restoration and meticulous maintenance, but they are not “firsts” in the groundbreaking sense. For example: 1909 Blériot XI replicas and some original parts fly at events. 1911 Blackburn Type D is the oldest British aircraft still flying (in the UK). 1912 Deperdussin is often cited as one of the world’s oldest airworthy aircraft (in New Zealand). Many aircraft from the 1920s and 1930s are kept airworthy by collectors and museums.

In summary: The original, historic “first” aircraft are national treasures preserved in museums. They are too valuable and fragile to risk in flight. However, some of the oldest surviving aircraft from the following decade (1910s) do still fly at special events, maintained by expert enthusiasts.

If you meant the first of a specific model (like the first 747 or first Concorde), those are also generally in museums, not in active service.