Smithsonian Art Inventory Description: "Sculpture is a replica of an airplane sent to Montgomery by the Wright Brothers for the establishment of a flight school. The plane has four sets of wings of various heights. A pilot, modeled on Orville Wright, sits in an open cockpit with his proper right hand on a steering mechanism. The figure wears a suit, tie, cap and flying goggles. Twin cantilevers serve as the base."
The plaque in front of the sculpture reads:
MONUMENT TO POWERED FLIGHT
IN TRIBUTE TO THE PERSEVERANCE AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE
WRIGHT BROTHERS AND THE LEADERSHIP AND FORESIGHT OF THE
CITIZENS OF MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, TOGETHER THEY ESTABLISHED
THE NATION'S FIRST SCHOOL OF CIVIL AVIATION IN MARCH, 1910,
LAUNCHING AMERICA ON HER JOURNEY TO THE STARS.
18 SEPTEMBER 1985.
From the Smithsonian Art Inventory Remarks: "Commissioned by Maxwell Air Force Base to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' establishment of an aviation school in Montgomery. The cost was $100,000, including $25,000 from the City of Montgomery and a contribution by Montgomery County. The sculpture is lighted."
The following information on the selection and initial setup of the site comes from the Encyclopedia of Alabama: (
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"In the spring of 1910, aviation pioneers Wilbur and Orville Wright opened the nation's first civilian flying school on an old cotton plantation on the outskirts of Montgomery, Alabama. The flying school was short-lived, however, as mechanical and weather-related problems forced the brothers to close the facility earlier than planned. The location was later used for aircraft repair during World War I and on November 8, 1922, the installation became Maxwell Field.
Just seven years after the Wright's successful flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the monopoly they held on the flying market was being seriously challenged by other inventors of flying machines. In hopes of retaining a share of the newly emerging aviation market, the brothers formed a touring company to conduct flying exhibitions to promote the sale of their airplanes. The Wrights needed to train pilots who would fly in exhibitions and teach buyers how to fly. The weather in Dayton, Ohio, was unfavorable for flying in the winter, and Wilbur left home on February 11 in search of a place suitable for early spring pilot training. He visited several southern cities and, after a disappointing stop in Jacksonville, Florida, a local resident suggested that he try Montgomery, Alabama, which he described as having "mild climate and flat farmland."
Wilbur arrived in Montgomery on February 15 and visited several sites in the city before selecting the Frank Kohn plantation the next day. Not only did the Kohn property have the flat, level land he desired, it also was far enough from the city to provide some degree of seclusion. In addition, Kohn offered him free use of the land for three months, and the Montgomery Commercial Club (which later became the Chamber of Commerce) agreed to clear the land, build a hangar, and provide transportation to and from the field. After checking with the local weather bureau, Wright found that Montgomery had half the rainfall during this period that other potential cities did and an average wind velocity that was highly conducive to flight training. Together, these factors essentially settled the matter of locating the camp in Montgomery. As a result, Wilbur left for Dayton that evening, and he and his brother completed the arrangements for opening the school and shipping a plane to Montgomery.
Packed in seven large crates, the Wrights' bi-plane arrived in Montgomery by train on March 15. Charles Taylor, the Wright's mechanic and long-time friend, came to the city four days later, along with students Walter Brookins and James Davis. Orville arrived on March 24, accompanied by a third student, Spencer Crane. Two other students, Archibald Hoxsey and Arthur Welsh, arrived several days later."