North Carolina Archives - First Flight Society

28 08, 2022

The Last Pilot Ace

50 Years Ago – The Last Pilot Ace

(Well, until Maverick)

By Retired USAF Colonel Paul Carr

From the air battles of Southeast Asia 23 airmen emerged with the title “Ace”. Of those, 17 were North Vietnamese, 1 was Soviet, and 5 were United States airmen. 50 years ago, between May 10 and August 28, 1972 Captain Richard “Steve” Ritchie, Reidsville, NC ‘s native son, became the only United States Air Force pilot to achieve Ace status (*). He will likely be the last.

“Ace” is the title bestowed on those downing 5 enemy aircraft in air-to-air combat. During World War I the press first used the term when referring to French pilot Adolphe […]

13 01, 2022

Introducing the 2022 First Flight Society Board of Directors

KITTY HAWK, N.C. – January 13, 2022 — The First Flight Society would like to announce its Board of Directors for 2022. Most of the directors are from North Carolina.

The newly elected Executive Committee consists of:

President-Mike Fonseca
1st Vice President-Dr Charles Davidson
2nd Vice President-William “Bill” Douglas
Treasurer-H Taylor Sugg
Secretary-Paul Carr

The rest of the 2022 board consists of :

Peter Bruemmer, Tony Bruno, Sara Lou Copeland, Danny Couch, M. Roy Daniels, III, David Daniels, Judith Fearing, Orestes Gooden, Barbara Gourley, Todd Huvard, Paul Wright Jameson, Penny Leary Smith, William Nelson, Doug Seay, Mike Smith, and Peregrine White.

Mike Smith is a former president of the 94 year old Society that started out as the Kill Devil Hills Memorial Association.

The FFS plans an annual celebration at the Wright Brothers National Memorial on […]

9 02, 2020

Our Calendar of Events for 2020

Here is the First Flight Society Calendar of Events for 2020:

April 16, 2020 Wilbur Wright Birthday Celebration

May 16, 2020 First Flight/Girls Golf Golf Tournament

August 19, 2020 National Aviation Day/Orville Wright Birthday Celebration

December 16-17, 2020 117th Anniversary of Powered Flight

More details to follow as the events get closer.

16 05, 2018

First Flight Society Celebrates National Tourism Day

The First Flight Society would like to thank everyone who came by to visit our booth on Thursday, May 10^th. FFS participated in National Tourism Day at the North Carolina Welcome Center on southbound I-95 near Roanoke Rapids. Perry White and Mike Fonseca had the chance to meet and talk with some of the hundreds of people that came to visit the displays from 10:00 until 2:00 on a beautiful, slightly windy May afternoon.

National Tourism Day is celebrated during National Travel and Tourism week, which is the first full week of May. This is the 35^th anniversary observation of NTTW that was created by congress in 1983. In North Carolina this year’s theme was “Travel Then and Now”. This gave the FFS the opportunity to answer questions and supply information about the First Flight Society and the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills.