Evening star., 1953-12-15
Industrial Leaders
InAViation Pay Honor
To Wright Brothers
By Charles ]. Yorbrough
Ssor Ssuff Correspondent


High winds, so well recon-
mended to the Wright brothers
q half century ago, streaked
down the same beaches in bright,
cold sunshine here again today.
Fifty years ago this day, wind
helped break rudder on the
primitive flying machine they
were to fly two days later.
An F-89 jet. carrying wreath
and airmail from Dayton, Ohio,
the Wrights' home town. roared
over the scene of their triumphs
this morning to open the second
days observance Of the 50th
anniversary Of powered flight.
Music from the Princess Anne
County (Va.) High School Band
was fed to a 35-knot wind atop
Kill Devil Fill at 10 am. after a
long procession made its way up
the winding asphalt walkway.
Industry Pays Tribute.
It Is aviation industry day.
with wreath-placing by the Air
Transport Associations Edward
o. Rodgers and Admiral Dewitt
c. Ramsey. president of the Air
craft Industries Association.
Three new hags. flown around
the world by commercial air.
lines as a token of the aviation
industry. were spread atop Kill
Devil Hill. They are the United
Nations, United States and in
ternational goodwill flags, which
will be placed In the planned
Wright museum here. Pan
American Airways and Trans
World Airlines flew the three
flags 21.016 miles in less than
six days. It was not a speed
record. None was sought.
Representing the modern day
Of flying were to be flights Of
is F-S4 Thunderjets of the
Georgia Air National Guard and
IS Mcdonnell Banshees of Ma
rine Air Group "a from Cherry
Point, N. C.
In a speech prepared for de-
livery at a luncheon, Mr.. Rodgers
quoted experts as saying there
are no physical laws known that
place a limit on the ultimate
speed of airplaneS.
He told how aviation had ad-
vanced from the 81 miles an
hour attained by the Wrights
to the 1927 attained by rocket
research plane-"only the begin
ming"
Winds Lash Site.
Gale-force winds lashed the
memorial site yesterday but
failed to interfere with dedica-
ton of the rebuilt hangar and
living quarters the WrightS used.
Few more faithful reproduc-
tions could be found. Guided by
photographs taken by the
Wrights at various stages Of their
Kitty Hawk visits, the sponsor
ing organizations even built in
the Wright penchant for neat
ness. s
AS visitors thronged through
the living quarters yesterday
they saw five eggs sitting in a
rack; 10 apples in another and
38 cans of food.
The National Gamers Associa-
ton in Washington stepped in,
reproduced the same type cans
and even secured the country for
correct labels Of the time. The
labels were finally found in Bal
timore.
The day also saw the arrival
and departure of a man who
probably holds more flying hours
than any other in the country,
over 10000.
Burrell TibbS now 81 and
operator of an airport near
Dallas. Tex. came in with 20
man delegation from Oklahoma.
including transplanted Oklaho-
man Bennett Griffin, director of
Washington National Airport.
Mr.. Tibbs had to leave here
today. He has to go to st. Louis,
pick up a World War type air.
plane, the famed Jenny. and
ferry it to Dallas.
"The story's going around that
I'm going to make that flight
with a dollar watch and Rand
McNally atlas" he snapped, 1T
amt true"
Contrast in Youth.
BY contrast, but to fill out the
picture Of diversity of aviation,
there was 22-year-old Olen
Fiveash, one of the 125 flying
ministers for the Church of God
of Prophecy. In natty black uni
form, Mr.. Fiveash and fellow
pilot-miniSters fly the religious
organizations White Angel fleet
of 100 airplaneS from congrega-
ton to congregation. They ex-
pect to have seven of their white
planes here by Thursday.
Luncheon speakers on the first
days program, called Pioneers
and Private Flyers Day, were
Melvin r. Daniels, clerk OF the
Dare County Board of Com
missioners; Alfred L. World, Sec
retary of the Aircraft Owners
and Pilots Association; Joseph r.
Geuting, jr.. manager of the
Utility Airplane Council, and
Herbert Kahler, chief historian
Of the National Park Service,
Old timers were on hand even
by Sunday night when scores of
planes beat a lashing rain and
windstorm into nearby Manteo
airport. There is Brig. Gen.
Frank p. Lahm. the Army's first
pilot and oldest living pioneer
of the flight age. There is Billy
Parker, of Oklahoma, who will
fly his 1912 pusher-type airplane
over the memorial route as one
of Thursdays highlights.
Mrs. H. H. Arnold, widow of
the Air Force pioneer and World
War II air leader, has a place
Of honor during the full four