Kitty Hawk in Dare County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Monument to a Century of Flight
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
1. Monument to a Century of Flight Marker
In celebration of the soaring of the human spirit
Created by artists
Glen Eure, Hanna Jubran, Jodi Hollnagel Jubran
Architect - Benjamin B. Cahoon
and presented as an enduring legacy by
Icarus International, Inc.
Founders: Glen Eure • Denver Lindley, Jr. • Nancy Tarnai
Board of Directors: President - William J. Kealy • Vice President - Ellen Kealy • Treasurer - Donald W. Bryan • Secretary - Pat Eure • Steve Alterman • Jill Bartel • Peggy Birkemeier • Cheryl L. Byrd • Mary Doll • John G. Gaw, Jr. • Jef Graham • Dave Hilton • Lola Hilton • Beverley Sharp • Melanie Smith
[Marker Back]:
John G. Magee, Jr.
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds...and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of...wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where
this page online
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
John G. Magee, Jr., a 19-year-old American serving with the Royal Canadien Air Force in Britain, wrote "High Flight" in late 1941. He was killed that December in his Spitfire over England.
Message to the people of 2103
Near this marker is a time capsule dedicated to you. It was placed by the First Flight Club of Rotary International under the sponsorship of the Bank of Currituck honoring their President and CEO, Sam T. "Tommy" Moore, Jr. Please open in December of 2103.
Erected 2003 by Icarus International, Inc.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Time Capsules series list. A significant historical month for this entry is November 1814.
Location. 36° 5.844′ N, 75° 42.906′ W. Marker is in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in Dare County. Marker is on Lunar Drive near N. Croatan Highwy (U.S. 158), on the right when traveling south. Marker is in the visitors center area. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Kitty Hawk NC 27949, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
2. Monument to a Century of Flight Marker
More about this marker. The Monument's essential structure consists of fourteen wing-shaped stainless steel pylons (shown below) ascending in height from 10 feet to 20 feet in an orbit of 120 feet, the distance traveled by the brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright in that historic "first" flight on December 17, 1903.
Each pylon's curved side correlates with a wing foil.
The flat faces of the pylons showcase black granite panels engraved with language and images about one hundred of the most significant events in aviation in its first century.
The orbit of pylons culminates in a center bronze dome, (shown below) six feet in diameter, depicting the continents of earth joined by a centennial message coming from Kitty Hawk.
At the Monument's entrance is a granite marker
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
3. Monument to a Century of Flight Marker
At the Monument's entrance is a granite marker inscribed with the poem “High Flight.”
A time capsule placed by the First Flight Club of Rotary International beside the granite entrance marker to the Monument is carrying messages to the people of 2103.
The Monument to a Century of Flight is a public park open and accessible to all without admission charge.
Source: Monument to a Century of Flight web site, at the below link.
Also see . . . Monument to a Century of Flight. ...an enduring sculptural legacy to the first century of aviation. (Submitted on August 11, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
4. Monument to a Century of Flight
Fourteen wing-shaped stainless steel pylons, ascending in height from 10 feet to 20 feet, orbit a center bronze dome depicting the continents of earth. Black granite panels on each pylon are engraved with language and images about one hundred of the most significant events in aviation's first century.
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
5. Center Bronze Dome within the monument
Six feet in diameter, the dome depicts the continents of earth and the following centennial message:
"When Orville Wright lifted from the sands of Kitty Hawk at 10:35 on the morning of December 17, 1903 we were on our way to the moon and beyond."
"When Orville Wright lifted from the sands of Kitty Hawk at 10:35 on the morning of December 17, 1903 we were on our way to the moon and beyond."
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
6. Center bronze dome depicting the continents of earth
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
7. Century of Flight Monument Pylon (1903 - 1911)
December 17
Kitty Hawk, NC
Orville and Wilbur Wright accomplish world’s first powered, controlled, sustained manned flight in heavier than air machine.
1906
September – Paris, France
First flight in Europe made by Brazilian born Alberto Santos-Dumont
1909
July 25
Louis Bleriot becomes first to fly across English Channel
1909
August – Reims, France
First international aviation competition
1909
Orville Wright delivers two-seat observation aircraft to U.S. Army Signal Corps
1910
Madam La Baronne de Laroch becomes first woman pilot licensed
1910 / 1911
November 14 / January 18
Eugene Ely makes first carrier takeoff and landing
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
8. Century of Flight Monument Pylon (1912-1918)
March 1
First parachute jump from a powered airplane made by Capt. Albert Berry
1912
April 16
Harriet Quimby becomes first woman to fly across English Channel
1914
August 26
Igor Sikorsky’s Grand
aviation’s first four-engine aircraft
1914
First airline St. Petersburg-Tampa airboat line
1914
Two-way radio contact possible between pilot and ground
1914
Gyroscopic controls developed by Elmer A. Sperry
1915
NACA
National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics initiated to support aviation research and development
1918
U.S. officially establishes Air Mail Service
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
9. Century of Flight Monument Pylon (1918-1924)
September 12
U.S. Colonel Billy Mitchell demonstrates effectiveness of military air support of ground forces
1919
May 16-27
First trans-Atlantic air crossing flight of the NC-4
Commander and Navigator LCDR. A. C. Read
1919
June 14-15
First nonstop flight across the Atlantic
British Capt. John Alcock and LT. Arthur Whitten Brown
1919
First sustained international commercial passenger service, between Paris and Brussels
1922
March 20
USS Langley
First American aircraft carrier is commissioned
1923
In-flight refueling introduced
1924
First around-the-world flight
U.S. Army Air Service Douglas World Cruisers
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
10. Century of Flight Monument Pylon (1926-1929)
March 16
Launch of first liquid propellant rocket
Designed by Robert H. Goddard
1927
Air-cooled engines make lighter, faster planes possible
1927
May 20-21
Charles Lindbergh in his Spirit of St. Louis becomes first to solo across the Atlantic
1928
May
First flight across Pacific Ocean
Australian Aviator Charles Kingsford-Smith and crew in the Southern Cross
1929
August 8-29
First around-the-world flight by dirigible, the Graf Zeppelin
1929
September 24
James H. Doolittle becomes first man to fly entirely by instruments and radio aids
1929
November 29
Admiral Richard E. Byrd makes first flight over South Pole in the Floyd Bennett
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
11. Century of Flight Monument Pylon (1929-1935)
Link trainer flight simulator invented
1930
May 15
Ellen Church becomes first official flight attendant
1931
Britain’s Frank Whittle designs jet engine
1932
May 20-21
Amelia Earhart becomes first woman and second person to fly solo across the Atlantic
1933
July 15-22
Wiley Post in Winnie Mae makes first solo around-the-world flight
1935
July 28
B-17 Flying Fortress unveiled
1935
December 17
DC-3 aircraft provides first profitable passenger service without postal subsidy
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
12. Century of Flight Monument Pylon (1936-1942)
First international airline routes established
1939
August 27
Heinkel He 178
First plane to fly with a jet engine
1939
September 14
Initial flight of VS-300 Helicopter
Developed by Igor Sikorsky
1930’s
Radar introduced
1940
Introduction of Northrop N-1M
First “Flying Wing” airplane
1940
Boeing Stratoliner
First airliner with pressurized cabin
1941-1946
Tuskegee airmen achieve distinguished role in aviation through determination and perseverance against tremendous odds
1942
German Heinkel He219
First aircraft to be equipped with crew ejection seats
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
13. Century of Flight Monument Pylon (1943-1949)
WASP
Woman Airforce Service Pilots
First women trained to fly American military aircraft
1943
Lockheed “Skunk Works” is born leading to development over the next two decades of long-range, high-altitude reconnaissance capability
1944
January 3
First air-sea rescue by helicopter
Pilot – CDR. Frank Erickson, USCG
1944
September
V-2, world’s first long-range combat ballistic missile
1947
F-86 Sabre introduced
First swept-wing jet fighter
1947
October 14
First pilot to fly faster than the speed of sound
Chuck Yeager in Bell X-1 research plane Glamorous Glennis
1948 / 1949
June 26 / September 30
Berlin Airlift demonstrates successful aerial resupply
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
14. Century of Flight Monument Pylon (1948-1958)
Francis and Gertude Rogallo invent the flexible wing
1949
February
Captain James Gallagher and USAF crew make first nonstop around-the-world flight in Lucky Lady II
1952
May
DeHavilland Comet
World’s first commercial jet airline put into service
1957
Soviets launch first artificial satellite in space Sputnick
1958
January 31
U.S. Satellite Explorer I launched
1958
A million passengers fly the Atlantic surpassing total steamship passengers
1958
FAA
Federal Aviation Administration established
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
15. Century of Flight Monument Pylon (1958-1962)
NASA
National Aeronautics and Space Administration established to develop space exploration program
1960
August 12
Echo I, first passive communications satellite launched
1960’s
Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile, never used as a weapon serves as launch system for space missions
1961
April 12
Yuri Gagarin of USSR becomes first man in space
1961
First words spoken from space
I see earth. It’s so beautiful!
Yuri Gagarin
1961
May 5
First American in space is Alan B. Shepard, Jr. in Mercury spacecraft Freedom 7
1962
February 20
John Glen, Jr. becomes first American to orbit earth in Mercury Friendship 7
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
16. Century of Flight Monument Pylon (1962-1966)
December 14
Mariner II interplanetary probe flies past Venus
1963
June 16-19
Valentina Tereshkova of USSR becomes first woman in space
1963
SYNCOM II
World’s first geosynchronous satellite launched
1963
August 22
North American X-15 gets altitude record of 67 miles at 4,159 MPH
1965
March 18
Soviet cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov becomes first man to walk in space
1965
June 3
First American space walk med by Edward H. White
1966
Lunar Orbiter
First U.S. Spacecraft to orbit and photograph the moon
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
17. Century of Flight Monument Pylon (1968-1972)
World’s first wide-boy airliner, the Boeing 747, introduced
1968
December 31
Soviet Union’s Tupolev 144
First supersonic transport
1969
March 2
First flight of British-French supersonic commercial jet, Concorde
1969
July 20
Neil Armstrong walks on the moon
One small step for man;
One giant leap for mankind
1971
April 19
World’s first space station, Soviet Salyuti, placed in orbit
1972
LANDSAT I
America’s first environmental satellite
1972
Intel 4004 microprocessor – human artifact that has travelled the farthest from earth programmed to reach the star Ross in 32,000 years
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
18. Century of Flight Monument Pylon (1972-1979)
Grumman F-14A Tomcat “Swing Wing” carrier interceptor introduced
1973
May 14
U.S. Space Station Skylab launched into orbit
1975
American and Soviet spacecraft dock in orbit during Apollo-Soyuz test project
1976
First flight of F-16A Falcon ushers in era of lightweight fighters
1976
E-3A airborne warning and control electronic surveillance system inaugurated
1976
Viking landers touch down on Mars
1979
June 12
Cyclist Bryan Allen pilots human powered Gossamer Albatross across English Channel
Coast Guard Historical Footnote
CDR. Elmer F. Stone, USCG
1887-1936
Coast Guard Aviator #1
Pilot of the Navy NC-4 seaplane that made the first successful trans-Atlantic flight in May 1919
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
19. Century of Flight Monument Pylon (1981-1989)
April 12
Space Shuttle era begins with the launch and return to Earth of Columbia, followed in the decade by Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour
1983
June 13
Pioneer 10 becomes first spacecraft to leave our solar system and explore the edges of interstellar space
1986
AH-64A Apache attack helicopter in use
1986
December 23
All-composite plane Voyager completes first around-the-world flight without stopping or refueling
1989
First production vertical lift airplane V-22 Tiltrotor Osprey
1980’s
Unmanned aerial vehicles advanced for intelligence/reconnaissance operations
1980’s
F117A Stealth fighter introduced
First operational aircraft designed to avoid radar detection
1980’s
Introduction B-2 “Flying Wing” bomber incorporating stealth technology
Photographed By Kevin W., July 21, 2008
20. Century of Flight Monument Pylon (1990-2000)
Hubble telescope provides vision into space from orbit around Earth
1995
April 27
Global Positioning System fully operational
1997
July 4
Mars Pathfinder sends back more than 16,500 pictures after landing on Mars
1998
First components of International Space Station placed in orbit by 15-Nation development team
1999
July 22-27
Eileen Collins becomes first woman commander of a space shuttle
2000
October
First crew of International Space Station arrives in orbit establishing continuous human presence in space
Humankind is a continuum of pioneers sharing timeless dreams and the boundless possibilities of vast unexplored worlds.
Icarus International
2003, in the hundredth year of powered flight
Credits. This page was last revised on January 8, 2020. It was originally submitted on August 10, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 4,016 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. submitted on August 10, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.
