Cessna became a self-taught expert in mechanics by working on farm machinery and the “horseless carriage,” but it was the Wright Brothers’ exploits that spurred his imagination. Cessna built his own monoplane in 1911, and taught himself how to fly on the Great Salt Plains near Enid, Oklahoma. In 1925, he became the first president of the Travel Air Manufacturing Company in Wichita, and founded his own company, Cessna Aircraft in 1927. His airplanes have set numerous speed and efficiency records. Cessna’s outstanding contributions in the development and demonstration of early monoplanes, coupled with his leadership in the formation and management of aircraft manufacturing companies, have made the name ‘Cessna’ synonymous with general aviation around the world.