Your parent is probably skeptical because in 1906 total human powered winged flight time could reasonably be measured in minutes. Europe still believed it was a hoax. Pilots didn't even have instruments let alone a cockpit. If you were a pilot, odds are your name was either Orville or Wilbur.

Remember, the Wright brothers first flew in 1903.

As another reply points out, it was likely blimp, balloon or some other form of aviation that spurred the research on vestibular effects.