Photos from the 120th Anniversary Celebration

More Photos on the Wright Brothers Day Gallery Page

Charles McGee Selected as 2024 Paul E Garber Shrine Honoree.

Charles McGee Selected as 2024 Paul E Garber Shrine Honoree. By: First Flight Society, Inc KITTY HAWK, N.C. – April 16, 2024 – The First [...]

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We welcome you to join one of aviation’s oldest and finest organizations. The FFS was founded in 1927. This non profit organization celebrates the accomplishments of the Wright Brothers and helps educate the world about aviation! Join us in our mission and help support The Paul E Garber Shrine, Aviation Education, Scholarships and the annual December 17th Celebration in Kitty Hawk, NC.

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Our 2024 Events

Wilbur Wright Day April 16th

National Aviation Day August 19th

Wright Brothers Day December 17th

Featured Events

Celebrate Wilbur Wright’s Birthday on Saturday, April 13th!

Celebrate Wilbur Wright's Birthday on Saturday, April 13th! Buy Luncheon Tickets Wilbur Wright Day 2024 [...]

Welcome to First Flight Society

Celebrating the 12 Seconds that Changed the World!

This website is the hub of First Flight Society information. We highlight information that will interest members and casual enthusiasts alike. You will find out what the First Flight Society accomplishes, how to join the Society, and how to contact us.

Return to the Outer Banks every December 17th to celebrate with us!

The First Flight Society YouTube Channel

Beechnutz demonstration team flyover during the Wright Brothers Day Celebration on Sunday, December 17, 2023.

Wright Brothers Day 2023 Flyover

Beechnutz aerial team practices a flyover on Saturday, December 16, 2023.

Beechnutz flyover

Beech 18 and Beech AT-11 fly over the Wright Brothers Monument on Saturday, December 16, 2023.

Beech 18 and AT-11 flyover

Beech Staggerwing parking

@MilitaryAviationMuseum Corsair flyby on National Aviation Day at Dare County Regional airport. August 19, 2021.

WW II Corsair on National Aviation Day

Commemorative Air Force, the Capital Wing will bring the queen of its fleet, a TBM-3E Avenger named “Doris Mae” on National Aviation Day 2021 at Dare County Regional Airport.

CAF TBM-3E Avenger-National Aviation Day

A Message from First Flight Society Honorary Member Zara Rutherford

C-17 from the 315 Air Wing in Charleston, SC flying over the Wright Brothers National Memorial at 10:35AM, December 17th in honor of the 119th Anniversary of the Wright Brothers First Flight.

Wright Brothers Day 2022 Flyover

General CQ Brown, Jr. pays tribute to General Benjamin O Davis, Jr., the 75th anniversary of the USAF and the Wright Brothers.

csaf gen brown benjamin davis tuskegee tribute

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2023 Class of Honorary Members

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First Flight Society

1 week ago

#CharlieTaylor♥ Today is National Aviation Maintenance Technician Day AND Charlie Taylor's birthday. 🎉Charles Edward Taylor was born in a log cabin on a farm on May 24, 1868 - today he would have turned 156! He discovered his mechanical inclinations early, and eventually ended up in Dayton, Ohio with his wife around 1896. He opened his own tool shop, and there he would meet the Wright brothers. The Wrights hired Charlie in 1901 to help out at their Wright Cycle Company shop - on a "hot June night in Dayton", they offered him $18 per week to work for them. He would handle the bicycle shop's business, especially while Wilbur and Orville were off experimenting in Kitty Hawk. Charlie played quite a big role in the Wright brothers' story, as he is the one responsible for the engine on the 1903 Wright flyer. Charlie hadn't built an engine before, but he was up to the challenge.The Wright flyer's engine was monumental at the time, because it was the first ever with an aluminum crankcase. The Wrights needed an engine that was lightweight and met certain specifications: it had to run smoothly, weigh less than 200 pounds, and produce 8-9 horsepower. Thanks to Charlie's ingenuity the 4-cylinder engine he produced only weighed roughly 170 pounds and produced 12-horsepower!With this engine and his subsequent work on Wright flyers, he became the first aviation maintenance technician. Charlie's involvement did not stop with the 1903 flyer. He continued working with the Wright brothers - through triumphs and tragedies, he was by their sides. How is Charlie celebrated? The Federal Aviation Administration has the "Charlie Taylor Master Mechanic Award", the most prestigious award an aviation mechanic can be given. His name is written on the Udvar-Hazy Center's Wall of Honor. We tell his story here at Wright Brothers National Memorial. And today, on Aviation Maintenance Technician day - we remember Charlie Taylor. You can help us honor Charlie by spreading the word about his accomplishments!Read more about Charlie Taylor here: www.nps.gov/people/charles-e-taylor.htmPhoto: Wright State University. Charlie Taylor working at the Wright Company factory in 1911.Image Description: Vertical, black and white photo of Charlie Taylor, with his distinctive glasses and mustache, working with a vise in a workshop. ... See MoreSee Less

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