I Believe I Can Fly

On May 1st, we finally made it to Mecca, Kitty Hawk, NC that is. Actually, we discovered that the first attempts at flying were made in a field in Devil Kill Hills, NC, where the Wright Brothers National Monument is located. Perhaps, the area wasn't incorporated when the "boys" chose it to fly from.
This is a photo overviewing the field, from where man took flight. The building to the right is where the Wright Brothers camped. They decided that if they were going to try this that they would live in comfort so they constucted the camp building that is outfitted for a comfortable stay. The building to the left is the hangar, where they kept the plane. This area was chosen because of the wind. There are four stone monuments, indicating where each of the four attempted flights landed. The first stone monument, closest to the hangar indicates where the plane sat before take off. What you can't see is a stone set in the ground from where the plane actually took to the air. This photo was taken from the top of Kill Devil Hill so there was a lot of walking to see all of the exhibits.
The flight took place on December 17, 1903 on a day much like today, which was overcast with a strong wind coming straight out of the north. This is a photo of the monument, where the plane actually sat before take off. I was standing next to the monument in the photo above when I took this photo. The four monuments indicate that on each subsequent flight they were able to fly further than the one before. From where I was standing to the fourth monument, it is 528 feet, long enough to prove that man could fly. Aviation has come a long way in a little over a century. We are humbled by the accomplishments of these two brothers.