It is well-known footnote to history that after Orville and Wilbur Wright ended their first flights on December 17th, 1903, they ate their lunch, washed the dishes, and then walked over to the Kitty Hawk Weather Bureau, where they had telegraph operator Joseph J Dosher send that telegram to their father: Bishop Milton Wright must have been a busy man – preparing his United Brethren … Continue reading Creating a buzz
Augustus Moore Herring When I scan my mental list of ‘first flight’ claimants – or even powered flight pioneers – the name Augustus Herring is something of an unknown quantity. That’s a massive oversight, as even a quick read of Herring’s Wikipedia entry proves. Herring wasn’t just one of the USA’s most important aviation pioneers, he was arguably one of the key threads linking everyone else’s … Continue reading Pioneer Trail
The power to fly I guess I’m as guilty as anyone: I’ve written a few things about the Wright Brothers over the years and, most memorably, about the North Carolina Surfmen who helped them make their historic flights at Kill Devil Hills, NC. But, for all that, I’ve missed the man who did more than any other to make their place in history possible, and became … Continue reading May 24th every day
They were ex-fishermen mostly, but to say they’d chosen a safer life ashore would be a lie. The Surfmen of the 19th century United States Life Saving Service were the forerunners of today’s US Coast Guard, a service that’s still renowned for helping aviators in need. History’s first ground crew A hundred years ago, those brave men lived in windswept stations along the worst stretches … Continue reading Wright Savers
