Less than six years after the first successful motorized flight by the Wright brothers in the USA, Edvard Rusjan, the first Slovenian aviator, took to the air in November 1909.
He piloted the Eda I plane, which he built together with his brother Josip. Edvard flew 60 meters with their biplane outfitted with canvas wings. This was the first flight in the then Austro-Hungarian monarchy and also in the whole of Southeast Europe. Rusjan's flight is considered one of the bravest decisions, as we know that aviation in France or Germany was usually in the domain of educated people with much technical knowledge. On the other hand, the Rusjan brothers were self-taught, working in a cooper's workshop at the time and without any education. Thus, the pioneers of Slovenian aviation were both designers, constructors and pilots at the same time.
