Aviation History

The soul of aviation probably has no greater Mecca than the dunes of Kill Devil Hills, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Above these once shifting and untamed sands, now resting beneath 425 manicured acres of grass, stands a hallowed shaft of granite, over ninety feet high and crowning one central dune, also stabilized under a carpet of green.

Get set for another "one year since 9/11" retrospective ... but this time, from the point of view of a pilot.

The Centennial of Flight finds me grateful to the Wrights for their ability to attack dangerous trial-and-error with analytical science and ultimately open the door to the world of flight we so enjoy. It was a longer road than most might imagine, full of fascinating history few people know...

We all know the story of how two bicycle-shop brothers from Ohio built and flew the first successful heavier-than-air aircraft from the dunes of North Carolina on December 17, 1903. Last time we looked at the path of science and imagination that created the atmosphere in which the Wright Brothers began their work. This time we'll look at how the Wrights adapted that experience to finally conquer the air.