Kill Devil Hills in Dare County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
The First Successful Flight of an Airplane
Photographed by Kevin W., July 19, 2008
1. The First Successful Flight of an Airplane Marker
Orville Wright
December 17, 1903, in a machine designed and built by Wilbur Wright and Orville Wright
This tablet was erected by the National Aeronautic Association of the U.S.A. December 17, 1928 to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of this event
Erected 1928 by National Aeronautic Association of the U. S. A.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Notable Events. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1980.
Location. 36° 1.192′ N, 75° 40.126′ W. Marker is in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, in Dare County. It can be reached from Wright Brothers National Monument Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Kill Devil Hills NC 27948, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Coastal Plain and on the Outer Banks. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Getting Off the Ground (a few steps from this marker); First Flights: December 17th, 1903 (a few steps from this marker); Kill Devil Hills (a few steps from this marker); The First Flight (a few steps from this marker); Commemoration (within shouting distance of this marker); The Camp (within shouting distance of this marker); Home Away From Home
this page online
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Wright Brothers First Flights
Photographed by Kevin W., July 19, 2008
2. The First Successful Flight of an Airplane Marker
Photographed by Kevin W., July 19, 2008
3. Marker Dedication Photo
Orville Wright and Senator Hiram Bingham of Connecticut, then president of the National Aeronautics Association, pose by the permanent stone marker after the unveiling ceremonies, December 17, 1928.
July 1955
4. The First Successful Flight of an Airplane Marker
This photograph was contributed by Mike Dalton, seen next to the marker in July 1955.
Photographed by Kevin W., July 19, 2008
5. Numbered markers identify four flights that day.
View is from the commemorative boulder looking roughly northward. The first flight marker is in the immediate foreground. The fourth flight marker can barely be seen in the far center of the picture.
Photographed by Duane Hall, October 11, 2012
6. The First Successful Flight of an Airplane Marker
Photographed by Tom Bosse, September 18, 2021
7. Geodetic Survey Marker
Photographed by Tom Bosse, September 18, 2021
8. Geodetic Survey Marker
Photographed by Sandra Hughes Tidwell, May 1, 2025
9. The First Successful Flight of an Airplane Marker
Photographed by Sandra Hughes Tidwell, May 1, 2025
10. The First Successful Flight of an Airplane Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on August 18, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 30, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,094 times since then and 13 times this year. Last updated on August 18, 2025, by Bruce Guthrie of Silver Spring, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 30, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. 3. submitted on August 11, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. 4. submitted on September 10, 2011. 5. submitted on July 30, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. 6. submitted on January 26, 2014, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas. 7, 8. submitted on January 22, 2022, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. 9, 10. submitted on May 8, 2025, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
