First in Flight

On our brief, storm abbreviated, trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina we made an impromptu stop at the Wright Brothers National Memorial. It was a “oh cool, look at that, let’s turn in” diversion… a little risky in the motorhome but thankfully it was an RV friendly place.

This isn’t just a memorial, it’s the actually location where the Wright Brothers first left the earth in a motorized, manned airplane. On December 17, 1903 Orville Wright made history and took flight at 10:35am. The flight took 12 seconds and flew for 120 feet. Orville and Wilber made subsequent flights that same day of 12 seconds 175 feet, 15 seconds 200 feet, and 59 seconds 852 feet.

The original airstrip remains with historical markers of the first four flights. A walking path leads you to the top of Kill Devil Hill, home of the Wright Brothers Monument and the location where the Wright Brothers launched many gliders in their quest for the historic day that came on December 17, 1903.

Adjacent to the dirt airstrip and on the other side of a tree line is a small paved airstrip used by small private planes. It seemed so strange watching the occasional plane land and take off just yards from where it all started. How far we’ve come.