The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1953-09-18
GREAT 4-DAY CELEBRATION
TO MARK ANNIVERSARY OF
FIRST AIRPLANE FLIGHT
December Event Will Be International in I'm
pOrtance; Great Air Show and Other At
fractions Scheduled, and Estimates Predict
Greatest Crowds Ever to Visit Our Coast.

A four-day celebration will
mark the 50th anniversary of the
Wright Brothers flight at Kill
Devil Hills, near Kitty Hawk,
December II, 1908, it was an
nounced in Manteo this week by
Miles L. Clark, chairman of the
celebration committee. The meet
ing in Manteo was attended by
Carl Goerch, chairman of the
NC. 50th Anniversary CeIebra-
ton Commission, w. R. Elder,
Civil Aeronautics supervisor for
Eastern North Carolina, Wade
Mari, Elizabeth City, David Stick
Kill Devil Hills, C. S. Meekins,
M. r. Daniels, A w. Drinkwater
and Aycock Brown, members
Kill Devil Hills Memorial Society
of which Clark is chairman of
board, Horace Dough, of National
Park Service and Ralph Whiten-
er, Washington, D. c., promo
tional director of Air Force Asso-
citation.
The celebration will begin on
December IA and continue
through December 18th with each
days activities featuring seq
ment Of the aviation world.
Monday, December IA will be
defense day, with special empha-
sis on military services contribu-
ton to national security through
use of airplane. Tuesday will be
Industry Day and will include
participation by aircraft manu-
facturers, airlines, and govern
ment agencies whose activities
relate to aviation.
Wednesday will be Pioneers
and Private Flyers Day. Many
odd timers" will be on hand to
pay tribute to the Wright Bro
theirs and to "relive" their early
flying exploits. The program will
feature demonstration of the use
of small planes and the impor-
lance of the private flyer to the
nations airpower resources.
Thursday will be the big day.
All phases of aviation will parti-
cipate in the days activities to
make it an inspiring and specta-
cular tribute to the two world
famous Brothers who discover
ed powered flight on the same
desolate sand-dune SO years
earlier.
The Kill Devil Hills celebra-
ton is being jointly sponsored by
the Kill Devil Hills Memorial
Society, the Air Force Associa-
ton, the National Park Service
and North Cardinals 50th Ami
versary Celebration Commission.
The committee is made UP of a
member from each of the spon-
sorlng organizations.
Highlights of the four-day ceIe-
bration will be the unwilling for
public view, the reconditioned
site of, the first flight, with a
relnactment of original flight.
The committee is presently soli-
citing subscriptions throughout
nation to finance cost of two
crude wooden sheds which
WrlghtS used for a hanger, living
quarters and workshop. They will
be rebuilt on their original loca-
ton and equipped as they were
IN 1903. The so foot monorail
which the Brothers used to
launch their plane on its history
making flights SO years ago will
be located in its original position.
Permanent markers will locate
the take-off and landing points
of the four December II, 1908.
flights.
At 1926 on December II, the
Oldest flyable plane will reinact
the original flight over the same
course and at the same altitude.
Orvllle Wright who made the
first flight, flew 100 feet in IL
seconds at an altitude of 10 feet.
The December 18th program
VIII include special memorial
ceremony at the monument atop
See CELEBRATION, Page Four