The first helicopter flight hovered just 2 feet off the ground

In 1907, the Breguet-Richet Gyroplane No. 1 made history with the world's first powered helicopter flight. This experimental French craft, featuring four rotors, managed to hover about 2 feet (0.6 meters) above the ground for roughly one minute. Though tethered and lacking full control, it proved vertical flight was possible, laying the groundwork for modern helicopters. This pioneering achievement inspired decades of innovation, leading to the versatile rotary-wing aircraft we know today.