Orville Wright
In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared this day, August 19, as the first National Aviation Day. Why August 19? Well, it is the anniversary of Orville Wright’s birthday.
For most of us who fly airplanes, today is a special day. The best way to celebrate it, of course, is to go out and fly. The next best way, if you are unable to fly, would be to travel to the Outer Banks to visit the site of the first flight at Kill Devil Hills.
The industry recognizes the Wright Brothers as having conquered the air. Their interest in flying, along with their research, eventually led to the first flight taking place on December 17, 1903. The brothers spent thousands of hours in studying flight, experimenting with different gliders, engines, and propellers leading up to the success of that flight on the beach in North Carolina.
They were not the first in inventing airplanes, but they did create a flight control system that made the airplane practical. Before their first flight, early aeronauts had not discovered how to control aerial machines in flight; they did pretty well at gliding in a straight line. But the real problem was turning.
By watching and very carefully observing birds in flight, the Wrights came up with the idea of wing warping. By way of twisting the wing panels, they were able to turn the airplane – and this was very important – this process allowed them to maintain control over the airplane in flight.
This is why the many regard the Wrights as the inventors of the airplane. To give tribute to their accomplishment and highlight aviation history, President Roosevelt gave recognition to Orville’s birthday. That is the good news; the bad news is that we do not recognize the day as a holiday in the sense of the Fourth of July, President’s Day, or Thanksgiving.
This brings us back to the question of how to observe the day.
As mentioned above, if you are a pilot, go out and fly. If you are not, there are other things available to do to pay homage to the aviation industry.
Many cities, museums, and other aviation concerns have events scheduled for today. One of the best places to recognize aviation today, as noted above, would be at First Flight, NC.
Today at the Wright Brothers National Memorial, the National Park Service has planned activities for children and adults throughout the day. Discussions about flying, presentations regarding space flight, kite-flying events, and more are on the schedule.
If it were not for my schedule, I would be there. I do not believe there is a better day to visit Kitty Hawk.
Oh yes, and if Orville were still here, today he would be 141 years in age.
For my other blogs on the Wrights and First Flight, see 107 Years, and First Flight.
-30-
©2012 J. Clark
Note: Email subscribers, please go to my blog to view vids
