If you have any personal experiences to add please let our webmaster know!!
|
After a very exhausting day on Dec. 16th at Kill Devil Hills, I sat down in front of the internet terminal in my hotel room and began to convey to you the mood and anticipation of that day. Unfortunately the terminal refused to send anything out to you. I was a little annoyed. However, the terminal did allow me to read my mail. I was elated to hear of a plan amongst some members to mark the event with champagne. I wish I could have been with you as well.
Anyhow, Tuesday was a fantastic day with bright sunshine and mild temperatures. A perfect flying day for us but not particularly for the Wright Flyer. The Wright Brother Memorial is a Mecca for all those with their hearts in aviation. The view of the land and sea from the base of the Memorial has a serene and sedate effect. It's as if the view encourages you to close your eyes and imagine those two men with their flying machine. At the base of the memorial are two busts of Wilbur and Orville. Their faces in weather tarnished bronze help me to humanize them.
The mood of the crowd was electric. Tens of thousands of people were in attendance to share their reverence for the Wright Brothers and the birth of aviation. I felt proud and honoured to be one of them. I met people from Seattle to others from just up the road. Their feelings were in accordance with my own. I wouldn't miss this event for the world. I saw many aviation celebrities through out the day. I saw families, war veterans, youngsters and senior citizens. I couldn't help but to see the endless streams of people dressed in black "First Flight" jackets signifying them as a volunteer. It seemed all these people from all walks of life had journeyed to these sacred lands to celebrate Orville and Wilbur's lives and to thank them for their inspiration and dedication. For me all of this is true but let me offer up a more simple reason for my presence. I just wanted to walk in their footsteps. A hundred years may have passed but I felt the same wind, gazed at the same sky, and embraced the same passion. Like everyone else, I wanted to celebrate.
The non-stop parade of overhead flights, speeches, announcements and musical performers certainly helped with the atmosphere of celebration. The star of the show today was the Wright Flyer reproduction on display in a large white tent next to the launching area. The Flyer was facing towards the end of the tent like any other aircraft sits in a hangar. It was protected from the wings rearward by a security perimeter. From this, a crowd of onlookers 7 to 8 deep admired its beauty. This was more of a masterpiece of art than a machine. Its cables, ribs, cloth, and gears seem to compliment each other. This truly was the celebrity of the show.
Wednesday, Dec. 17th.
7:30 am - We departed Norfolk, Virginia in our rental car for the hour and a half trip to the north satellite parking area. It had rained often and at times intense. It was not looking too promising. But we convinced ourselves that the rain would let up enough for the flyer to launch. Batteries are charged. Lenses have been cleaned. Cameras checked. I'm ready.
9:15 am - As we unload from the car, we could hear the undeniable drone of heavy machinery approaching from the north. Soon, there was five big "bad ass" helicopters equipped with missile launchers overhead at about an altitude of about 500 - 800 feet flying towards Kill Devil Hills. One of the guys in the next car says to his passenger. "You see that? That's Bush". "Which one is he in?" inquires the passenger. The driver shrugged "Might not be in any of them."
9:40am - We arrive at the main entrance. It's pouring again. There are thousands of wet people waiting to get in. Security is intense. Everyone's bags, cameras, knapsacks, and umbrellas are checked. Yesterday we saw someone's boots get inspected. The military surrounds the grounds, which have been fenced off. Guards are placed approximately every 100 yards. They are carrying big guns. They are not even aware it is pouring. Bush has given his speech and is whisked away in those fire breathing helicopters.
10:20 am - We are still not through security. Mike Koff keeps activating the metal detector.
10:25am - We are finally in and walk fast to our predetermined best viewing point. Unfortunately there are also tens of thousands at our viewing site. Memorial Hill is covered with spectators. The grandstands for the distinguished guests and those that have chosen to donate $2003 dollars are full of people in anticipation. The rain has stopped and the winds have picked up a bit. We spot a better vantage point vacated by a spectator minutes before the big event. Are those guys crazy to leave now? We are now at the ropes edge. The launch track and the stool are approximately 300 feet from our position. With the current winds, the flyer will be taking off away from us. About 100 feet away from us stands another group oblivious to the water that laps at their mid calves.
10:30am - I dry off my video camera and set it to record. I don't want to miss anything.
10:35am - No sign of the Wright Flyer. There are rumours that the launch has been pushed to 2:00 or 2:30pm. No one knows for sure. In the next 20 minutes there are several aircraft flybys including Air Force One to a thunderous ovation.
11:00am - We decide to move closer to the stage to hear any news. The rain seems to have stopped for quite some time. Two Canadian Forces Snowbirds flyby signifying our Canadian presence. I learn that perhaps the main reason for the launch postponement is the lack of winds. Although it seems very windy to me right now and the winds are due to lighten in the afternoon. What's worse the rain is forecast to intensify. We start to talk about heading home.
11:30am - I can't believe that an attempt will not occur before 2:00pm but we reluctantly leave the celebrations.
12:30pm - We have just departed the satellite parking lot. We are very hungry and pull in to a roadside greasy spoon called Grady's Grille. With fuller stomachs our decisions would have been wiser. As we walked in, about 12 other patrons and a waitress were glued to a TV set watching the events from Kill Devil Hills live. The Flyer had just been placed on the launch rail and a preflight inspection was being performed. It seemed like an eternity to get the engine to sputter to life. But when we saw those propellers turn, everyone in that greasy spoon jumped into the air and applauded. The cheers would soon be replaced by sighs of disappointment as the Flyer laboured to get off the ground but ultimately came to rest on the water-saturated ground.
I think everyone expected that the flight would be successful given our technological expertise and experience. One hundred years later we are faced with the same challenges that the Wright Brothers faced. It seems weather was a huge factor yesterday. The re-enactment could have just as easily been successful and frightenly, the First Flight in 1903, could have just as easily been a failure. Fate will always hold surprises for us and as was shown yesterday, for all of our knowledge and expertise, we are still at the mercy of fate. Yes I am disappointed that the Flyer did not get airborne but that would not compare to my sadness if I did not get to Kitty Hawk. I think it's the journey that matters. 35 thousand enthusiasts and I walked the sands of Kill Devil Hills 100 years later to the minute of Orville and Wilbur's first flight. Their footsteps and shadows would still be there if not for the winds of time. Fifty and one hundred years from now, there will be many more footsteps joining the Wright Brother's path.