CHINO, Calif. — Taking off couldn’t be taken for granted when the Wright Brothers took off for the first time in their Wright Flyer in December 1903.

Curator James Noriega demonstrated some of the basic controls on a replica at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino. The aircraft might look simple by today’s standards, but it represents one of the greatest advancements in human history.

“It’s just a great way to remember history and the amount of effort that it took to make this huge accomplishment in history. We think in terms of history, human beings had always wanted to fly like birds and finally, it’s finally accomplished,” said Noriega.

This replica is actually the only replica that exists at the museum. It started as a private collection in the 70s and grew into a 200-plane curation that displays the history of American flight.

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“Having that emphasis on trying to tell that whole history of American aviation, it gives us that unique opportunity to come into contact with some of those pieces of history that many other people may be unfamiliar with or totally unaware even exist,” said James.

But what might be even more captivating than the finished planes are the ones being restored. Frank Wright – no relation to the Wright brothers - is the chief of operations, in charge of bringing planes up to 90 years old back to life.

“We’re all American and people are allowed to come through our restoration hangar and see the technicians working on aircraft,” said Wright.

Some of these aircrafts are the only ones left in existence and can take a decade to restore.

As the anniversary of the first manned flight is celebrated, it’s as much about the machines as it is the people who make them fly.

“They represent more than that. They represent the men and the women who struggled to design and build them, who flew them and maintained them, and the effort it took,” said Noriega.