Inducted into the Paul E. Garber First Flight Shrine, December 17, 2017. While flying across the country to deliver mail in the early days of aviation, Capt. Jeppesen created his “little black book” of navigation charts, information still in use today. He eventually founded the Jeppesen Company providing navigational assistance to pilots, and which is now a subsidiary of the Boeing Corporation.
A NASA mathematician for 33 years, Mrs. Johnson was the first female to author a NASA research report and is most known for her work on the trajectory analysis needed for Alan Shepards’ 1961 Freedom mission and John Glenn’s 1962 orbital mission. However, she cites her calculations syncing the Apollo Lunar Lander with the Command & Service Module as her greatest contribution to space exploration. Profiled in the book and movie “Hidden Figures”. Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.
Painting by Gregory Kavalec, displayed at Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitors Center, Kill Devil Hills, NC.
We are accepting nominations for the First Flight Society Paul E. Garber First Flight Shrine for 2020. Nominees should have made an outstanding accomplishment in manned flight and that they are generally recognized nationally and internationally for their achievements and contributions to aviation.
All nominations must be received no later than March 31st.
The 115th Anniversary of the accomplishment of manned powered flight by the Brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright, will be celebrated at the Wright Brother National Memorial on Monday, December 17, 2018 with gates opening at 8:00 AM. The event is sponsored by the First Flight Society, the oldest organization honoring the Wright Brothers, in partnership with the National Park Service.
This year’s program honors Katherine Johnson. A key figure in the history of manned space flight, Katherine Johnson participated for 33 years in the NASA space programs based in Hampton, Virginia. Her work as a mathematician in the early years of the NASA manned space program has been celebrated in writing and cinema. In 2017 NASA dedicated the Katherine Johnson Computational Research Facility at Langley in her honor.
Dr. David Bowles, Director of the NASA Langley Center, will be the keynote speaker at the morning program. He will speak about the accomplishments and legacy of Mrs. Johnson and her career at NASA. Also speaking at the morning ceremony will be Dr. Tom Crouch, Senior Curator of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, and Amiee Ginnever, National Park Service Ranger.
Weather permitting, NASA aircraft will honor the Wright Brothers with a flyover at 10:35 AM, the same time as their initial flight 115 years before. Following the flyover, NASA airplanes will be on display at the aircraft parking area west of the monument. NASA representatives will be available to provide information about the aircraft and NASA projects.
The Wright Brothers National Memorial recently reopened the Visitors Center after an extensive renovation. The Visitor Center is itself a National Landmark featuring new displays and interactive exhibits. The morning program will take place at the Center.
Entrance to the Park is free for the day’s events, and the public is invited to attend.
115th Anniversary of Powered Flight – Our biggest celebration December 16 & 17, 2018. Wright Brothers National Memorial Park admission is free on December 17 and the Anniversary program begins at 9:00 a.m. THIS IS A MONDAY, so plan early so you don’t miss it! No longer a hidden figure in the history of NASA and Aviation, Mrs. Katherine Johnson will be inducted into the Paul E. Garber First Flight Society Shrine on December 17th!
The First Flight Society presents The Wright Brothers: Those Daring Young Men & Their Flying Machine. The play will be performed twice in November at Paparazzi OBX: On Sunday, November 11th, 2018 at 7:00 PM and also on Monday, November 12th at 2:00 PM.
This performance is a musical play designed to inspire people to achieve their dreams against impossible odds!
This play was especially created for families and children to educate and encourage them. A true “STEM” show – portraying one of America’s earliest successes in combining Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
– Encourages perseverance – never giving up on your dreams.
– The value of out-of-the-box, inventive thinking.
– Teamwork, brotherhood and loyalty.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the National Park Service at Wright Brothers National Memorial Park, Kill Devil Hills, NC.
Book by Sterling Swann – Music & Lyrics by Larry Siegel – Produced by FreshBrewedProductions
Join the First Flight Society this Saturday, October 20th at the Wright Brothers National Memorial Park. We will have a table set up and we encourage all current and future members to stop by and say Hi. Anyone who joins the FFS during the grand reopening event will receive a complimentary copy of The Wright Brothers by David Mccullough.
Here is more information from the National Park Service about the Grand Reopening:
On Saturday, October 20, Wright Brothers National Memorial will hold a grand reopening ceremony for its National Historic Landmark visitor center. The park will be open from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. Entrance fees will be waived on this very special day.
The Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2001.
Starting at 9:30 am, the grand reopening ceremony will feature speeches by National Park Service Southeast Regional Director Robert Vogel and National Parks of Eastern North Carolina Superintendent David Hallac. After the ribbon cutting, Dare County 4th graders and their families are invited to be the first to experience the visitor center’s brand-new, interactive exhibits. The National Park Service is honoring 4th graders as the distinguished guests as part of the national Every Kid in a Park program and to promote their study of Orville and Wilbur Wright’s achievements as part of their 4th grade curriculum.
Throughout the day, visitors are invited to explore the visitor center and to enjoy the interactive activities and exhibits on aviation, historic preservation, and STEAM-based activities (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) provided by local and regional partners.
Sneak Peek at the New Exhibits
Once inside the newly renovated visitor center, visitors will embark on a journey through the lives of Orville and Wilbur Wright, exploring their characters, diving into problems they solved and the methods they used that ultimately led to their first flight on December 17, 1903. Along the journey, visitors will also encounter people who helped and interacted with the Wrights including Katharine Wright, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and Charles Taylor, to name a few.
At a shop inspection at Formations, Inc., in Portland, Oregon, an exhibit case shows a reproduction of the Wright’s bicycle shop and interactively demonstrates how the twisting of a bicycle inner tube box inspired the concept of wing-warping.
Inside the Flight Room, visitors will once again be able to view the reproduction 1903 Wright Flyer – the flyer that made history during the first flight – along with a brand new 16-screen video wall!
Formations’ audiovisual technician Christopher Williams describes how the 16-screen video wall will function in the new visitor center at Wright Brothers National Memorial (Photo by Formations, Inc.)
After experiencing the visitor center, join National Park Service staff, and our wonderful partners for educational programs, interactive activities, and aircraft displays on the First Flight Airstrip tarmac.
Schedule of Events
| Time/s | Programs and Activities | Description | Location |
| 9:30 am to 10:00 am | Grand Reopening Speeches and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony | NPS Southeast Regional Director Robert Vogel and National Parks of Eastern North Carolina Superintendent David Hallac will speak, followed by a special ribbon cutting ceremony. | Entrance to the Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center |
| 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm, and 4:00 pm | Wind and Sand (interpretive program) | Step back in history during this short walk to the actual site of the Wright brothers’ first powered flights. | Meet on the back patio of the visitor center and end at the First Flight Marker 1 |
| 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (drop by anytime) |
Camp Building and Hangar Open House(interpretive program) | Learn how Wilbur and Orville Wright lived on the Outer Banks with a visit to the reconstructed buildings that help us understand how they worked, ate, and entertained themselves while learning how to fly. | Camp buildings (southwest of visitor center) |
| 10:00 am to 5 pm (drop by anytime) |
Interactive and educational exhibits focused on aviation, historic preservation and STEAM-based activities (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) | Activities and exhibits provided by:
|
Exhibit tent across the parking lot from the visitor center.
*The Elizabeth City State University Mobile STEM Lab Initiative will be parked at the base of Big Kill Devil Hill near First Flight Airstrip. |
| 10:00 am – mid-afternoon (drop by anytime) |
Aircraft on Display | Talk to pilots and learn about modern aircraft. Aircraft provided by:
|
First Flight Airstrip tarmac |
More information is available at the National Park Service website https://www.nps.gov/wrbr/index.htm
FFS is supporting the event on our website and Facebook Page. Our President, Joe, is planning on participating in the ride!
If you ride: Registration is at Vertigo Tattoo in Mann’s Harbor with the ride heading to the Icarus Memorial, stopping for a photo op at the Wright Brothers Memorial, and ending at Mulligan’s Restaurant in Nags Head.
If you happen to be in the Nags Head area on the 22nd, toys can be dropped off by 1:00 p.m. at Mulligan’s Restaurant. Volunteers might be needed to help with the collection, parking, etc.; or take the opportunity at the Monument to talk with people about the Society.
