Hands-On Tribute to Wright Brothers’ Flight
- Share via
KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. — It won’t be dedicated until today, but a sculpture of the Wright brothers and their Flyer at the start of the first manned, powered flight already has become a magnet for children -- and adults -- who like their history hands-on.
Nancey Atkinson looped the strap of her binoculars around Wilbur Wright’s neck Saturday, then stood near the wingtip of the airplane being piloted by his brother, Orville, and told a friend with a camera: “Get the guy! I want all of them in there!”
The figures and plane that drew Atkinson and others, which commemorates the historic moment on Dec. 17, 1903, are the newest addition to the Wright Brothers National Memorial.
The sculpture, unfenced and at ground level, is “the one hands-on thing that we’ve got. You’re not just looking at something through a glass, from behind a cord,” park Superintendent Lawrence Belli said.
Today’s dedication of the bronze and steel statue, a gift to the national park from the state of North Carolina, is part of the weeklong festivities leading up to the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first flight.
The week features air shows, a salute to aviation heroes and, with President Bush expected to attend, a re-creation on Wednesday’s anniversary of the Wrights’ first, 12-second flight.
Kevin Kochersberger, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology, won the honors to fly the plane, organizers said Saturday.
At the park Saturday, sculptor Stephen Smith smiled as visitors snapped photos and milled about the figures of Wilbur Wright and John Daniels, the local man who photographed the Flyer’s first ascent.
“We actually [modeled it on] the moment before,” the artist said. “In the photo, the plane is about 2 feet in the air. We wanted it at the very beginning of flight.”
The poses were practical as well as aesthetic.
The sculpture weighs more than 10,000 pounds, and it was necessary to have the plane touching the ground to keep it stable.
Sign up for The Wild
We’ll help you find the best places to hike, bike and run, as well as the perfect silent spots for meditation and yoga.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
