When westerners teach their children about the story of the first flight of WRIGHT BERSAUDARA (the first aircraft designer in 1903), Islam has long known Ibn Firnas as a Muslim scientist who invented aviation technology.
His full name is Abbas Qasim bin Firnas. He was born in Izn-Rand Onda, Andalusia in 810 AD and lived his life in Cordoba. The scientist of this all-round inventor died in 887 AD / 274 AH.
Ibn Firnas is a versatile scientist who mastered diverse disciplines of science. Besides being known as a tough pioneering aviator, he is also a chemist. It is said that Roger Bacon learned about aircraft from the reference of Muslim scientists on the model of the aircraft Ibn Firnas.
Ibn Firnas is a very enthusiastic scientist in doing scientific research. He was even mentioned as the first person to attempt a flight experiment in the air.
In the scientific field, he focuses on the fields of the sciences (Mathematics) and the natural sciences (Physics). Among the brilliance evidence of his brain in this field is his success in making the roof of his house that resembles a celestial sphere. The results of his work is also equipped by a device capable of showing images of stars, clouds, lightning, and lightning in the sky as the original.
He also once made a time detector, which he dedicated specifically to Amir Muhammad bin Abdurrahman. This tool is named 'al-Minqalah' and can be used to know the time of night and day without any writing or image.
He was also the first to discover how to make glass from a rock, and is touted as the person who first made the crystal.
In addition to discovering various important technologies in the aviation world, Ibn Firnas also succeeded in creating a water clock known as 'Al-Maqata'. Not only that, he also managed to create a colored glass.
In the field of astronomy, Ibn Firnas was able to create a kind of ring chain to explain the pattern of planetary motion and stars.
History also records Abbas Ibn Firnas as the first person in the world to ever conduct controlled flight trials. By using a kind of flying control device mounted on two sets of wings, Ibn Firnas can control and adjust its flying height. In addition, the flying device can also change its flight direction, as evidenced by its success to return to the direction in which it launches. Even so, he must suffer injuries on landing.
Ibn Firnas died about 12 years after he tested his second flight. The injury he experienced while testing the flight made his health worse.
The Western historian, Philip K Hitti, placed him as one of the greatest figures and the first man in history to test in the field of aviation.
As a form of respect, the Libyan government issued a stamp with the picture of Ibn Firnas to commemorate his efforts. The Iraqi nation also built the first aviator statue around its international airfield and perpetuated its name as the airport name in northern Baghdad.
(Source * Book: "99 Muslim Scientists Pioneers of Modern Science")