Greg Farris wrote:
AVIATION
The French claim to the invention of aviation goes back to the frères
Mongolfier, who pioneered balloon flight. Depending on how you choose
to define aviation, the claim may have some legitimacy. The French
have always been important aviation pioneers, yet few specific
breakthrough inventions can be attributed directly to them. Powered
flight is generally attributed to the Wright Bros, though New
Zealanders claim it for their own Richard Pearse. The French claim the
invention of the airplane as well, however the assertion that any of
Clement Ader's pre-Wright devices actually flew has been largely
discredited.

Here's the Wikipedia article on the subject:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_flying_machine