Certainly for an aviation pioneer who had many successful "firsts" - Gustav Whitehead has not been treated fairly by the historic record in the United States. While he has gained some recognition in Europe, and among aviation circles in the US, mainstream institutions such as the Smithsonian continue to refute his role in the development of powered flight.
Despite detractors who claim that the lack of recognition is based on "lack of proof" (we don't think 20 affidavits and several news articles constitute lack of proof) - there are a number of very concrete reasons that Whitehead received little recognition in life and (like many pioneering inventors):
His profound disorganization: He kept no records of any business or technical transactions he made. His goal was to fly, not to be recorded as the first to fly, thus keeping track of times, lengths and heights or making sure there were records on photograph were not a priority. All witnesses, save his assistants, were accidental, he did not even make sure that his wife was present at any of his August 14 flights.
His extreme poverty: All of Whitehead’s money went to the construction of his heavier than air flying machines - an editor of the Bridgeport Post who knew Whitehead said of him, “Let Whitehead earn two dollars and a half - enough to purchase a block of steel, and he was off again on his favorite hobby of constructing airplanes.” He certainly wouldn’t have been able to afford to patent his invention even if that had been his goal.
He was far ahead of his time: The public was skeptical - not only of Whitehead’s work, but also of the latecoming Wright brothers. The American patents office rejected the first patent application put forward by the Wrights - exclaiming that their invention contravened the known laws of science - it wasn’t until five years later, after a court battle that their patent was accepted. It wasn’t until 1910 that public interest really peaked in this “new technology” and people began to accept that human flight was possible.
He was dissatisfied with his own work: He was never satisfied with these short flights and bumpy rides and did not see what he had done as success. Therefore, he did little to publicize his work, feeling that it all fell short of his own expectations.