Orville et Wilbur Wright
The airport itself is famous for being the site of hundreds of pre-flight gliding experiments carried out by the Wright brothers. The Wright Brothers National Memorial, located atop nearby Kill Devil Hill, is a 60-foot granite pylon paying homage to the Wright Brothers and the first sustained heavier-than-air flight. The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission also chose the airport as one of the stops for the National Air Tour 2003.