Weather Blog The Potomac Island Where History Took Flight Samuel Pierpont Langley conducted the first successful flight of an unpiloted, engine-driven, heavier-than-air craft from a houseboat near Chopawamsic Island in the Potomac River. Read More… About Author OTW Observer See author's posts Post navigation Previous BBC Weather verdict on date rain will return after scorching heatwaveNext Smoke Blankets the Iberian Peninsula Related Stories Spring Rains Saturate Michigan Weather Blog Spring Rains Saturate Michigan April 17, 2026 Eyeing the Richat Structure Weather Blog Eyeing the Richat Structure April 16, 2026 NASA’s SPHEREx Mission Maps Water Ice Throughout Cygnus X Weather Blog NASA’s SPHEREx Mission Maps Water Ice Throughout Cygnus X April 15, 2026