Answer :
The Wright brothers likely had few spectators for their first flights due to their secretive nature and their focus on protecting patents rather than public demonstrations, allowing Glenn Curtiss to become the more recognized figure in early aviation.
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, thought that hardly anyone showed up to see the first flight because of their secretive nature and skepticism of public interest in their work. They were so focused on their technical achievements, like controlled flight and protecting their patents, that they did not prioritize public demonstrations. The Wrights were primarily concerned with military contracts and believed that only they had the necessary expertise in aviation, which led them to underestimate the importance of public flights. Their reluctance to participate in the challenge posed by Scientific American magazine for a one-mile public flight allowed Glenn Curtiss to capture the spotlight with his public flight achievements.
Meanwhile, Curtiss, known for his motorcycle racing records and less cautious outlook, made significant contributions to aviation and gained fame with public flights, eventually overshadowing the Wrights. The consequent patent lawsuits and the Wrights' absorption with litigation hindered further innovation on their part, allowing European aviation to advance more rapidly. The Wrights' focus on securing their intellectual property rights ultimately stalled the progress of American aviation, while Curtiss continued to innovate and build planes that went to war and later initiated the barnstorming era.