Wright stuff, The

Southern Living, Nov 2003 by Stith, Mark G

Join the First Flight Centennial Celebration near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Orville and Wilbur Wright lifted the world up on its first airplane ride here on the Outer Banks. From that shaky, 120-foot, 12-second flight into a stiff wind one December morning, modern aviation took off. Now, 100 years later, it's time to pause and pay tribute to these high-flying heroes.

Visitors to the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, just south of Kitty Hawk, can honor that historic flight by attending the First Flight Centennial Celebration December 12 through 17. The event serves as the climax of a year's worth of tributes, exhibits, and events across the country celebrating the Wright Brothers' lofty accomplishment.

"This is where it all began," says Darrell Collins, National Park Service historian, as he looks at the 90-foot-tall, 26-acre dune crowned by the 60-foot memorial tower. "The Wright Brothers used that dune for more than 1,000 glider flights beginning in 1900 and then developed their powered glider from what they learned. They chose the site because of the high sand dunes, constant winds, and possibility for soft landings."

A re-creation of the flight using a replica provided by the Experimental Aircraft Association-planned for 10:35 a.m. December 17, 100 years from the time Orville soared into the sky-should rate as one of the event's many dramatic moments. A second re-enactment will take place at 2 p.m.

Adding to the spectacle will be a 100-plane flyby spaced throughout the day, following presentations by dignitaries and descendants of the Wrights and eyewitnesses. Visitors should get another adrenaline rush (not to mention a surge of patriotic pride) from the modern and vintage aircraft zooming overhead in this tribute, including a B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber, F-14 and F-16 jet fighters, and a B-52H Stratofortress. The six-day celebration begins with a children's day December 12 (the only day that does not require a ticket), a 100-person jump team and skywriting competition December 13 through 14, a tribute to the impact of aviation on the military December 15, and a ceremony honoring 100 aviation pioneers on December 16.

"The success of the Wright Brothers is one of our country's greatest engineering and scientific achievements," says Lawrence Belli, superintendent of the Outer Banks Group of the National Park Service. "We're delighted to join with the armed forces, state and local governments, and private groups and individuals in this historic celebration." With thousands of commercial and private planes taking to the sky every day, flying has become almost second nature to us. Visiting this site serves as a powerful and poignant reminder that the Wright Brothers took a huge chance when they took off into the great unknown. Reliving that feat allows us to honor one of mankind's most impressive milestones: the day we learned how to fly. MARK G. STITH

First Flight Centennial Celebration: Tickets are required to attend the events; call 1-800-973-7327, or visit www.wrightbroth ers.reserveworld.com. Prices for each day are $10 adults, $5 seniors, free for ages 12 and under (but a ticket is still required). Incentive package price tickets are $25 adults and $20 seniors for all five days of the event. At press time, no decision had been made on the availability of tickets after December 1 because of advance ticket sales. Visit www.firstflightcentennial.org for the most up-to-date information.

If you can't make it for the 100th Anniversary, seeing the memorial any time of year makes an interesting visit too. The Visitor Center and First Flight Pavilion house full-scale replicas of the 1902 glider and the 1903 flying machine. Two reconstructed camp buildings, similar to those used by the Wright Brothers, sit near the granite marker at the airplane's liftoff point. You can walk to the hilltop and memorial. Although it's a hike, you'll be rewarded with a panoramic view of the surrounding island.

For information on lodging and other attractions in the area, contact the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, 1 Visitors Center Circle, Manteo, NC 27954; toll free 1-877-298-4373 or www.outerbanks.org.