A four-legged visitor to the site of Orville and Wilbur Wrights’ first flight.
A sculpture of Orville Wright flying the world’s first controlled, powered, heavier-than-air flight.
ships traveling along the Outer Banks of the dangerous shoals along the islands. The Ocracoke Lighthouse, a harbor light at the southern end of the seashore, was completed in 1823 as a light to mark Ocracoke Inlet and Silver Lake. Today, these three light stations, so called because they have multiple buildings including a lighthouse and a keepers' dwelling, still serve as active aids-to-navigation along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Originally, the position of lightkeeper was often a political one, meaning that early keepers were frequently people not qualified for the job. It soon became apparent that a different type of personnel was needed to ensure that the lights were properly maintained for the safety of the mariners. Although they worked for little pay or benefits, the lightkeepers, often mariners themselves, understood the importance of the lighthouses and the job of the keeper. 12 SECONDS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD In 1903, the Outer Banks became well known because two young men from Dayton, Ohio, made history there. The region met their criteria for privacy, steady winds, and wide-open non-vegetated spaces. It was here in Kitty Hawk with its massive windswept dunes that they
set up camp, obtaining the freedom to experiment with and perfect their flying machines. After more than four years of hard work and experimentation, it only took Orville and Wilbur Wright 12 seconds to change the world. On December 17, 1903, at 10:35 a.m., Orville Wright made the world’s first controlled, powered, heavier-than-air flight. Perched atop Big Kill Devil Hill, the Wright Brothers Monument is one of the most iconic features of both Wright Brothers National Memorial and the Outer Banks. The Visitor Center is home to a museum featuring models and actual tools and machines used by the Wright brothers during their flight experiments including a reproduction of the wind tunnel used to test wing shapes and a portion of the engine used in the first flight. In one wing of the Visitor Center is a life-size replica of the Wright brothers' 1903 Wright Flyer, the first powered heavier-than-air aircraft in history to achieve controlled flight. A full-scale model of the Brothers' 1902 glider is also present, having been constructed under the direction of Orville. Adorning the walls of the glider room are portraits and photographs of other flight pioneers throughout history. What better place to fly a kite than on the beaches near
MYSTERIES OF THE OUTER BANKS
COAST TO COAST SPRING MAGAZINE 2022
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