Either by school field trip, family vacation, or in this case Boy Scout trip, many residents of North Carolina have visited the historic Wright Brother Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, just south of Kitty Hawk, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Here, on December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright successfully conducted the first sustained controlled flight of a motorized aircraft.
Their breakthrough engineering development of a three axis control system (pitch, roll and yaw) allowed the pilot to steer and maintain equilibrium. It remains today as the standard method of control for all fixed wing aircraft. Though I’ve visited multiple times in my life, each time I’m quite inspired by the brother’s ingenuity over years of slow but steady progress, hard work, and perseverance.

Equally inspiring is the natural beauty found along the wind swept barrier islands of the North Carolina Outer Banks. It quite a long drive for me, but once you get there, you’re so thankful for having the opportunity to visit. For the best viewing experience, click an image to view a high resolution version. For more photos of this amazing destination, also see my Outer Banks Gallery.
Cheers,
C. S.