The First Flight Society is 90 years old today.
In 1927, a group of forward-thinking northeastern North Carolina business and civic leaders began an effort to preserve the original site of the Wright brothers’ flights of December 17, 1903. The group formally organized on August 16, 1927, as the Kill Devil Hills Memorial Association and set about the task of acquiring the site where Orville and Wilbur Wright made their four historic flights in 1903. The Kill Devil Hills Memorial Association was formally incorporated in 1943. Its name was changed to Kill Devil Hills Memorial Society in 1951 and in 1966 changed to the First Flight Society.
The National Park Service and the First Flight Society share in our missions and purpose resulting in the benefit of a partnership effort that has endured since the Wright Brothers National Memorial became part of the National Park System in 1933. The First Flight Society and the National Park Service continue their collaborative relationship under this Agreement, working on current and future projects and improvements in the Park to enhance the visitor’s experience and underscore the continuing relevance of the Right Brothers’ aviation achievements, especially the first flight on December 17, 1903.