Which aviation figure first publicly recognized the Wright Brothers' achievement?

Octave Chanute is noted for being the aviation figure who first publicly recognized the Wright Brothers' achievement. He was a prominent engineer and aviation pioneer himself, and upon learning of the Wrights' successful flight in 1903, he acknowledged their contribution to the field of aviation. Chanute was influential in the development of early aviation and had been advocating for experimentation in flight. His recognition helped lend credibility to the Wrights' work and encouraged further exploration in aviation technology.

Other choices represent notable figures in aviation history, but none had the same immediate recognition of the Wright Brothers' accomplishment as Chanute did. Amelia Earhart came onto the scene much later and is famous for her own achievements in aviation. Orville Wright, while a co-founder of the Wright Brothers, was not in a position to publicly recognize their achievement from an outside perspective because he was part of that achievement. Charles Lindbergh, known for his solo transatlantic flight, also arrived on the aviation scene after the Wrights’ initial accomplishments and did not publicly acknowledge them in the same formative way that Chanute did.