Santos-Dumont tried several times before he truly managed to fly in the "14-bis". His first attempt in July 1906 did not work. In September, he managed two short hops. In October, the "14-bis" flew for 50 meters. That was the first flight that the Aero Club of France ever officially witnessed. In November, he was able to keep the "14-bis" in the air for 220 meters, 6 meters up in the air.