No.7 Koukichi flew at night of midsummer

The challenge day had come. Koukichi and Yasaku waited until all the neighboring people were fast slept. And, they carried the large wings in a large cart quietly. On good luck, this night, there was a full moon, the night sky was dim.

They arrived at Kyoubashi where Koukichi selected the testing point.
But there was some people on the bridge who were enjoying the cool evening. Therefore they waited again under a bridge girder until there would be no people on the bridge.

When the belfry was ringing out at eight in the distance, anyone did not cross the bridge.
And cool wind had blown from the upper stream of Asahigawa River. It was the time to fly for Koukichi.
Koukichi constructed wings and installed wings on his body. Koukichi who installed wings was just like a mysterious bird. Yasaku stopped a cart on a central rail of this bridge following indication of Koukichi.
Koukichi stepped on a cart, and stood up from the rail. Yasaku tightly grasped the rope with his hand which was tied up Koukichi's waist.

Koukichi expected to blow an adverse wind. He waited for several minutes on the central rail, then an adverse wind began to blow on the surface of the river. Koukichi said Yasaku that "Now is the chance. Get your hand off the rope. Come on!". He kicked a railing reassuringly.

At the moment he jumped, Koukichi fell the air on his head. Then he was approaching the surface of the water. He rose his head, and stretched himself. Then he saw a distant view of the Okayama castle.

When it was done, his body became horizontal immediately. Koukichi could fly. He flew parallel to the surface of the river. Wind blew his face strongly, and at the time, he was thrown into an ecstasy of delight.

However, he was coming near the surface of the river, then he pulled a string by his right hand which was connected the tail of the right wing. The moment he pulled a string, the wind had died down.
Suddenly, he landed head foremost on a dry riverbed. But he received no hurt whatever in this time. His flight time was less than slight 10 seconds. And his flight distance was also about 30 meters. But Koukichi was satisfied with the result of this experiment. Yasaku had been watching Koukichi from the bridge. Yasaku came rushing to the landing point, and they jumped for joy to succeed in challenge.

However, there were old aged man and wife who were enjoying the evening cool at a dry riverbed. They witnessed the incident that someone flied. They were surprised and ran away as fast as possible.

Yasaku carried wings in a cart as soon as possible. Koukichi was excited. He remembered the feeling of flight again and again. At last,
they returned home, Yasaku quickly hid the wings. This night, Koukichi was excited and could not sleep. He remembered the touch of flight which his body floated on the air.

For the night, Koukichi succeeded in flying in Aug. 21, 1785, he was 28 years old.