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A Wright Moment in North Carolina
by Bob Fisher
The elements are everything in the Outer Banks of
North Carolina. These narrow sandy barrier islands which stretch
for over 100 miles (160 kilometres) off the coastline south of Virginia
are embraced on one side by the capricious Atlantic and its storm-spawning
Gulf Stream and on the other by a series of magnificent sounds that
connect to the Intracoastal Waterway. A geological eccentricity,
this remote playground of tranquil beaches, shifting sand dunes,
and natural preserves has been buffeted, caressed, and unceasingly
sculpted throughout time by monumental winds and waves. The Outer
Banks are a laid back destination, nonetheless they have a quiet
passion inherent in them – an enthusiasm fired by history,
an intrepid spirit, and imagination. It is a passion moderated but
not disowned by the genial locals and their casual lifestyle. This
is a place where the senses are fully engaged and where the spirit
can soar.
On a gusty, cool morning – not unlike the morning
a hundred years ago when Orville and Wilbur Wright crossed a threshold
in human history – I am standing in an open field looking down
a flight path to this history. Several hundred yards behind me rises
Kill Devil Hill, a 90-foot sand dune that has been stabilized by
grass. From this hill the Wright brothers experimented with gliders,
first testing their potential and the winds. To my left a granite
boulder marks the exact spot where human flight truly began; where
Orville Wright and the world's first powered flying machine lifted
gently off the ground while his brother Wilbur ran alongside. The
amateur photograph of the moment is a study in motion; as the fragile
craft rises a few crucial feet above the sandy terrain, Wilbur is
seen moving in solidarity with his brother. As he too pushes against
the 27-mile-an-hour wind his body language conveys the breathlessness
of the moment, the instant fulfilment of the brothers' aspirations,
and the timelessness of the event.
Beyond this first marker on the flight path are four
more, each a visual measurement of distances flown; of the first
and succeeding flights, and of subsequent moments in time. The first
flight was a short 12 seconds and less than the length of a modern
airliner. The succeeding three flights on December 17, 1903 were
incremental in distance and in meaning. These were the moments imagined
by humans throughout time – in dreams, poetry, and myths. These
were moments that precipitated a new world view, the breaking of
the sound barrier, a landing on the moon, the creation of a global
village. What these two bicycle-builders from Dayton, Ohio achieved
in this remote retreat was a conceptual shift that changed the course
of history; and they did it with the power of logic and scientific
reasoning, the courage to question conventional wisdom, and imagination.
And when the day was done – the last flight damaged the craft
beyond easy repair – they quietly packed up and went home.
Later they would calmly telegraph their father from the nearby town
of Kitty Hawk giving details of the distances flown.
When Neil Armstrong set foot on the lunar surface
and declared his "giant leap for mankind" he was very
aware of what he was doing because of many precedents. But I wonder
if the Wright brothers fully realized the significance of their
moment, even though Wilbur's own words – albeit in retrospect
– hint at it: "We had taken up aeronautics merely as a
sport. We reluctantly entered the scientific side of it. But we
soon found the work so fascinating that we were drawn into it deeper
and deeper." As a result of their disciplined engagement in
the science of aeronautics, they achieved powered flight. And what
they did that no one else had done was to effect stability and control
by working within an unstable environment and with the elements,
as opposed to attempting to apply control mechanisms from without.
Their ingenuity and persistence made the dream come true through
a consummate understanding of the forces of lift, weight, thrust,
and drag; and a realization of the critical integration of roll,
pitch, and yaw. In short, they understood the dynamic environment
constantly in play in the air.
And this is how life still proceeds apace in the hurricane-prone
but benevolent Outer Banks.
The first flight the Wright brothers achieved a hundred
years ago is being celebrated in many ways throughout this centenary
year in the Outer Banks – "Home of the First Flight."
Events have been planned that celebrate all aspects of flight and
the men and women who have followed the Wright brothers' flight
path. Outdoor symphonic performances of flight-inspired compositions,
the 25th annual Wright Kite Festival, an all women's cross-country
air race, gliders galore, hot air ballooning, an art exhibit from
the NASA art program, the unveiling of the ICARUS International
Monument to a Century of Flight, an anniversary carnival, a special
day for "igniting the imagination" of children (the next
generation of aviators), and an aviation film festival are some
of the events that will culminate with the First Flight Centennial
at the Wright Brothers National Memorial – the largest memorial
erected in the United States to a living person.
A more appropriate venue for such a commemoration
would be hard to find. Surrounded by sand, sea, and sky – far
from the commercial hyperactivity of most beach resorts – one
senses the kind of liberty evoked by free flight, an emancipation
that is also a primary element in the Outer Banks. Although it is
a busy place in the summer months, the Outer Banks is a year-round
destination where one goes to get away, to walk the beaches, to
ride the bike paths, to golf Scottish-style links, to observe the
abundant bird and marine life. In the prelude of a florid sunrise
one quiet morning, I gaze at a calm sea while three groups of dolphins
– near to shore, mid-distance, and far-off – make their
way in crescent formations parallel to the shoreline quietly, unobtrusively,
and elegantly. Their gracious procession and the enhanced perspective
it gives to this Outer Banks morning confirms for me why we return
to the sea for solace – and to rearrange our priorities.
 
The Outer Banks is also a destination for ecological
enjoyment. The Nags Head Woods Preserve, for example, is one of
the best remaining examples of a mid-Atlantic maritime forest; at
the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge you will see some of the
400 species of birds that frequent the Outer Banks. And for those
who appreciate diversity, the Outer Banks is also a gastronomic
sensation. The fresh seafood that arrives at your table from the
boats that dock in the small fishing village of Wanchese is another
quality ingredient of the Outer Banks. I will not soon forget the
Margarita sea scallops marinated with Cuervo and sugarcane, grilled
delicately, and served with a key lime vinaigrette and toasted almond
wild rice pilaf.
And to get just a small taste of the moment as Orville
must have experienced it, I take a beginner's hang-gliding lesson
at Jockey Ridge State Park, the tallest natural "living"
sand dune system in the Eastern United States. After a preliminary
classroom session, Kevin and Andy equip us with harnesses and helmets
and our small group walks through the dunes to a sandy hill from
which all around us we see an endless sky. The wind has picked up,
gusting now to 28 miles an hour. We strain to hear the final instructions
as the sand swirls in veil-like wisps around us. When my turn comes,
I attach my harness to the brilliantly-coloured glider. At either
end of my "wings" Kevin and Andy struggle to hold my craft
down; the wind is anxious to have its way. I shift my weight as
instructed, striving to find the precise balance of the elements
of flight and to "penetrate" the air. I begin to run with
the wind as I am told. And then, I feel a weightlessness, lift,
and forward movement. I realize that I am defying the law of gravity.
Running alongside, Kevin and Andy guide me – airborne –
down the slope of the dune. It is the softest and most peaceful
sensation I think I have ever experienced. It is as if a myriad
of moments have coalesced in timeless symmetry.
For more information on the Outer Banks and on First
Flight events, visit the Outer Banks website at www.outerbanks.org.
If you want to experience the Wright sensation, contact Kitty Hawk
Kites at www.kittyhawk.com.
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