First Flight ~ Wright Brothers and Friends ~ Kill Devil Hills, NC.
N 36° 00.713 W 075° 40.026
18S E 439884 N 3985471
This sculpture depicting the 1st Flight was donated by the State of NC to honor the memory of Orville & Wilbur Wright & the citizens of NC who welcomed & assisted them.
Waymark Code: WMPF44
Location: North Carolina, United States
Date Posted: 08/21/2015
Views: 74
After more than 4 years of hard work & experimentation, it only took the Wright brothers 12 seconds to change the world. On 12/17/1903, at 10:35 am, Orville Wright made the world's 1st controlled, powered, heavier-than-air flight
The photograph that documented the Wrights' success was taken by John T Daniels, a Kill Devil Hills LIfe Saving Station surfman, who had never used a camera before. It was not until the Wright brothers returned to Dayton, Ohio, that they developed the film. the Daniels' photo, however, only gives one perspective of that historic event-- from the back of the airplane.
Stephen Smith's "First Flight" sculpture, unveiled during the 2003 Centennial, & Frank Wootton's painting help us to see the 1st flight from different angles. Just as the Wright brothers' success depended on viewing the problems of flight in novel & creative ways, perhaps these new perspectives will inspire us to change the world & explore new horizons.
Dedicated upon the Centennial of the historic 1st flight, 12/17/1903
State of NC Michael Easley, Governor 2003.
Medium: Bronze.
Artist: Stephen H Smith.
Location: Kill Devil Hills North Carolina.
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This sculpture exhibit is located 0.6 miles South of the actual location of the first flight. There is located a large boulder with a plaque commerating the first flight and four other granite markers at the locations of the first four flights. The Wright Brothers choose this location because of the dune here called Kill Devil Hill, it was used as a launch site for their experimental aircraft and gliders.
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