Overview
- Commemorations began at 8:30 a.m. in Kill Devil Hills, highlighted by a 9:30 a.m. reveal of a flyable student-built airplane created through the Wright Flight Academy.
- Entrance fees were waived as the day featured a 9:00 a.m. induction of William P. Lear, a 10:00 a.m. wreath-laying, and a 10:35 a.m. moment of remembrance marking Orville Wright’s first takeoff.
- On December 17, 1903, Orville flew the Wright Flyer for about 12 seconds over roughly 120 feet, with four flights completed that day and Wilbur achieving the longest at about 852 feet in 59 seconds.
- The brothers’ rapid advances with Flyer II and Flyer III led to a practical airplane by 1905, followed by sweeping patent litigation that prompted NACA to require cross-licensing before World War I.
- North Carolina underscores the legacy’s modern impact, citing an $88 billion annual aviation economy that supports more than 427,000 jobs across the state’s 72 public airports.