A Very Soggy First Flight Centennial

Winter in North Carolina came early—bringing a deluge of rain that threatened the celebration of the Centennial of Flight on December 17, 2003.

Julie Boatman

Friday, December 15, 2023 at 12:28 PM ET

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The reproduction of the 1903 Wright Flyer never really made it off the ground for the celebration of the Centennial of Flight on December 17, 2003. [Credit: U.S. Air Force/Master Sgt. Jim Varhegyi]

Key Takeaways:

The author attended the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' first flight in 2003, a celebration significantly hampered by heavy rain.
Adverse weather conditions prevented Ken Hyde's reproduction of the Wright Flyer from recreating the momentous flight, though its engines were successfully started.
Despite the non-flight, Hyde's work with the Wright Experience considerably advanced the understanding of early powered aviation's unstable characteristics.
Reflecting 20 years later, the author celebrates aviation's past progress and anticipates significant future breakthroughs.

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On the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ first flight at Kill Devil Hills, I stood as close to that storied track of sand as I could.

Actually, I stood ankle deep in water, soaked to my socks, even though I’d sought refuge in a giant tent with a few hundred other hardy souls. Winter in North Carolina came early—bringing a deluge of rain that threatened the celebration of the Centennial of Flight on December 17, 2003.