About this time the Wrights, always seeking better performance, made a notable improvement in their plane. In their first historic flight and during the experiments on Huffman Prairie, they rode “belly buster” just as a boy does when coasting on a sled. They now made a different arrangement of levers which enabled them to sit up while piloting the plane. A seat for a passenger was also provided. Interestingly enough, recent experiments with high-speed planes have brought some return of the prone position for the pilot. On May 14, 1908, newspaper men saw a history-making flight at Kitty Hawk. The remodeled 1905 machine under perfect control carried two men. Flights for the army followed in September and the last trace of skepticism disappeared. Unfortunately, on the last flight Lieutenant Selfridge, the passenger, was killed and Orville severely injured. The year 1908 was notable in the saga of the Wrights. Wilbur made a series of flights abroad that not only won all observers but aroused wide interest and admiration throughout Europe. His quiet demeanor, his unassuming modesty and his proved skill, stirred the popular imagination. The French exalted him to the status of a hero. The great of the world flocked to meet him and see him fly. They included King Edward VII of England, King Alfonso XIII of Spain, and the Dowager Queen Margherita of Italy. Invitations to fly came from Rome and Berlin. In Rome King Victor Emmanuel watched him fly. [Illustration: Wilbur, at right, in characteristic pose—making a repair in France.] [Illustration: Orville Wright with army officer during highly successful flights at Fort Myer, Virginia.] In December, 1908, Orville and his sister, Katherine, went to Europe to join Wilbur. The weather at Le Mans where Wilbur had been flying became unsuitable for further flights and operations were transferred to Pau in southern France. Here Orville and Katherine joined Wilbur. Many flights were made and many distinguished visitors came to see the modern miracle of human flight. Honors were heaped upon the Wrights. They received among many other distinctions, the gold medal of the Aeronautical Society of Great Britain and the Aero Club of the United Kingdom. The French Aero Club of the Sarthe gave them a bronze trophy. Later the Aero Club of America bestowed medals on the flyers. A few weeks afterward, President Taft received the Wrights at the White House and the brothers returned to Dayton where a tumultuous welcome awaited them. [Illustration: Wilbur flies low over spectators’ carriages at Pau, France.] Welcome home! [Illustration: Main Street and Third on day of great Homecoming Celebration, June 17, 1909.]