Wright Brothers National Memorial
A trip to see the Italian Flight Demonstration Team Feccee Tricolori in Virginia Beach, VA brought me enticingly close to Kill Devil Hills, NC. Location of the first successful, powered flight by the Wright Brothers. This was too good of an opportunity to resist.
I made the nearly 2-hour drive over to this most hallowed location for aviation buffs. I arrived at the park after it had closed. But I was lucky that the park was hosting a movie night that evening and the gates were still open. I took this opportunity to visit the monuments and walk on the same grounds that Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright once tread. Being able to walk the distance that the Wright Brothers flew on that momentous day was both thrilling and sobering.
August 22, 2024
Parking is available around the base of Big Kill Devil Hill. There are pathways that wind up the hill to the Wright Brothers Memorial.
Big Kill Devil Hill is a 90-foot stabilized sand dune. It was the site of many of Wilbur and Orville's gliding experiments from 1900 to 1902.
Climbing the steep walkways up Big Kill Devil Hill brings you to this impressive monument that is visible from miles around.
To give you an idea of the Wright Brothers Monument size, note the people standing and sitting next to it.
The Wright Brothers Monument.
The Wright Brothers Monument.
Wright Brothers Monument To Flight.
The Wright Brothers Monument.
The Wright Brothers Monument.
Bust of Orville Wright.
Bust of Wilbur Wright.
View from atop Big Kill Devil Hill of the field where the Wright Brothers made their first powered flights. The flights are denoted by the stone markers at the end of the walkway.
View from atop Big Kill Devil Hill of the Sculpture Garden.
View of Big Kill Devil Hill and the Wright Brothers Monument as seen from the Sculpture Garden. Note the Generator House at the base of the hill.
Wright Brothers Sculpture Garden. This sculpture recreates the events of 1903 and the First Flight achieved by the Wright Brothers.
Sculpture of the Wright Flyer with Orville at the controls.
Sculpture Garden figures recreating the scene of the first powered flight.
Sculpture of Wilbur Wright just after he has released the wing of the Wright Flyer. Onlookers in the the background.
Present at the First Flight were: W.C. Brinkley - A lumberman from Manteo, W.C. happened to be at the Kill Devil Hills US Life-Saving Station when the Wright brothers signaled the crew to come over and assist with the flyer. Adam Etheridge - A member of the US Life-Saving Service at Kill Devil Hills, Adam became a life-long friend of the Wright brothers and took care of their camp buildings when they left Kitty Hawk in 1903. Johnny Moore - A sixteen-year-old boy who lived his whole life on the Outer Banks as a hunting and fishing guide.
Present at the First Flight were: Willis Dough - A member of the US Life-Saving Service at Kill Devil Hills, Willis also witnessed and assisted the Wright brothers in their later 1908 flights when they returned to Kitty Hawk for the last time together. John Daniels - A member of the US Life-Saving Service at Kill Devil Hills, John took the famous photograph of the Wright brothers' first flight.
Sculpture of the Wright Flyer with Orville at the controls.
Just imagine standing here as this crazy contraption takes to the skies for the first time!
Wilbur and Orville Wright relief sculpture near the Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitors Center.
Walking the path out to the First Flight flightline with the Wright Brothers Monument towering over the field.
The path from the First Flight flightline leading visitors over to the Wright Brothers Memorial.
Home Away From Home - These reconstructed buildings depict the camp the Wright Brothers used in 1903.
The First Flight flightline.
Looking down the First Flight field with the 60-foot (18 m) launching rail in the foreground.
Stone monument marking the location of the Wright Brothers First Flight.
Looking down the field at the stone markers showing the distance of the four flights made by the Wright Brothers.
First Flight stone marker.
Wright Brothers First Flight field.
First Flight 100th Anniversary marker on the ground.
Stone marker showing the end of the 1st flight.
Stone marker showing the end of the 2nd flight.
Stone markers for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th flights.
Stone marker showing the end of the 3rd flight.
Stone marker showing the end of the 4th and longest flight that day.
Looking back at the 852ft the Wright Brothers flew in the Wright Flyer.
First Flight distance - 120ft in 12 seconds.
A visual of the distances traveled by the Wright Brothers on the first three flights in their Wright Flyer.
A replica Wright Flyer located inside the Visitors Center.
Unfortunately, the Visitors Center was closed for the day and I was unable to go inside. Time to make plans for another visit to the Wright Brothers National Memorial.
Composite photo of the view from the top of Big Kill Devil Hill of the town of Kill Devil Hills, NC.