For the last few years, since 2000, we have been building and flying Wright gliders on Jockeys Ridge State Park in North Carolina, a few miles south of Kitty Hawk.  This project culminated in October of 2002 with over 100 successful flights of the Wright brother's 1902 glider.

In cooperation with North Carolina's First Flight Society and the help the the Unites States Armed Services, we returned to the Outerbanks to fly from October 4 through 8, 2002. Our flights coincided with the centennial of the Wrights first flights with three-axis control and so marked one hundred years of controlled flight. We brought we us four Wright  gliders -- our 1900, 1901, and 1902 replicas, plus a second 1902 replica that we had finished for the Crawford Museum of Cleveland, Ohio. To do the flying, relied on four of the best-trained military pilots in the world:

• Captain James Alexander, United Sates Air Force, MC-130 Shadow driver and instructor pilot.
• Major Dawn Dunlop, United States Air Force, F-15 Eagle driver and test pilot.
• Captain Tanya Markow, United States Army, Apache helicopter driver and instructor pilot.
• Lieutenant Commander Klas Ohman, United States Navy, F-18 Hornet driver and test pilot.

 of the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk. Klas will be getting a feel for the unique Wright tail-first design. If thing go well, he may re-enact the first flight on the flight deck of the USS Kitty Hawk sometime in 2003 using our Centennial Flyer. This, we hope, will draw world attention to and help celebrate the Centennial of Flight. It's still a big IF -- a lot of things have to go just right -- but that's what the crew of the USS Kitty Hawk, the good people of the Dayton, Ohio and the North Carolina Outerbanks,  and the Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company are trying to make happen.

Look for Ed, Klas, and Tanya's biographies here in a few days. Once we get them in the air, check back for pictures of their flights. Students, e-mail us with questions for the pilots if you have any you'd like to ask. And if you know of any Air Force pilots under 160 pounds, tell them to get on the stick!

This year's Return to Kitty Hawk will be the culmination of a three-year project. The Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company has been conducting an expedition in aviation archaeology, repeating the gliding experiments and flights of the Wright brothers as closely as possible to gain a better understanding of their innovative work. During the centennial years of their glider flights (2000, 2001, and 2002), we have taken the appropriate Wright glider to Jockey�s Ridge State Park, 3 miles south of Kitty Hawk, and have flown it. As we did so, we duplicated the efforts of the Wright brothers as closely as possible to gain an in-depth understanding of the early work they did in their quest to create a practical flying machine. We have timed these trips to coincide with local celebrations and historic reenactments at Elizabeth City and Kitty Hawk so as many people as possible can experience firsthand the excitement of pioneer aviation. We have also provided the flying and technical expertise for several film crews developing television shows on the Wright brothers.

On our third and last trip to Kitty Hawk we will fly the 1902 Wright Glider, perhaps the most important airplane in aviation history. One hundred years previously, the Wright brothers made the first fully controlled flights in their 1902 glider. This was the first airplane equipped with 3-axis control -- roll, pitch, and yaw to use the technical terms. This ingenious control system was the "secret of flight" that made it possible to pilot an aircraft. They made over 2000 flights in this glider, learning the basic skills necessary to steer a true course through the sky. The grandfather patent of the airplane, granted to the Wright brothers in 1906, shows a drawing of their 1902 glider, not the better known powered 1903 Flyer. For these reasons, the 1902 Wright Glider is the true granddaddy of all modern aircraft.

This is what we'll be celebrating during this year's Return to Kitty Hawk.   October 8, 2002 is the centennial of the Wrights� first controlled flights and the discovery of the secret of flight.

BYOG -- Bring your own glider

If you'd like to make a replica of this historic Wright glider for the celebration and contest at Jockey's Ridge, we have posted complete engineering drawings for the 1902 Wright glider that you can download. Although our plans are faithful to history, we have made some minor changes so this glider can be easily taken apart and put back together -- this should help you transport it to the North Carolina Outerbanks. We have also posted three-views and some details for the 1900 Wright glider and 1901 Wright glider, if you'd rather tackle something a little smaller.

If you aren't up to the task of building a glider, we've also posted free plans and instructions for building the 1899 Wright Kite. Build one, bring it, and we'll show you how to fly it. We will organize a separate event and contest for you kite pilots.

And we don't want to ignore the contributions of other important aviation pioneers who worked at the same time or prior to the Wright brothers, So we are inviting anyone with a pioneer glider to come compete and join the celebration. With enough pioneer gliders, we might turn this into the world's first pioneer glider regatta!

The Rules of the Contest

By "pioneer glider," we mean a full-size replica of any manned, unpowered aircraft built before 1911 when Orville Wright made the first soaring flight and paved the way for modern gliding. This would include (but is not limited to) gliders built by the Wrights, Cayley, Lilienthal, Chanute, Herring, Montgomery,  Ferber, and Archdeacon.

The rules for the time and distance portion of the contest are simple -- we will simply add up the seconds aloft and feet covered for the best three flights during the event. These can be flown on any day or over several days, but at least two of our judges must witness the flights. The rules for the most historically accurate replica are similar to an EAA vintage aircraft competition and are more subjective. Our judges will meet with each builder or team of builders to discuss your research, your choice of materials, and your workmanship.

Finally, in order to fly your glider, you must observe the rules of Jockey's Ridge State Park. The most important rule to that your glider pilot must know what he or she is doing -- they must have a Hang 1 hang gliding rating or better.

Consider this an invitation!

This isn't just an event for glider builders and pilots. We invite everyone who appreciates the miracle of flight and would like to see its very beginnings recreated. We especially welcome young people who are, after all, the future of aviation. Last year, several groups of home-schooled students showed up which, as far as we were concerned, made all our efforts worth the trouble. This year, we will conduct special educational programs for any student who participates. (You know, parents, Bishop Milton Wright used to let his boys take a day or two off now and then to "pursue their own intellectual interests." ) Please come -- you won't get another opportunity like this for 100 years.

Where? Jockey's Ridge State Park, Nags Head, NC

When? October 5, 6, 7, and 8.

What is there to do? You can see all three of the Wright Brothers' gliders -- 1900, 1901, and 1902. We'll also have the 1899 Wright Kite for your inspection. You can watch the kite and the gliders being flown. You can help launch the gliders, time the flights, read the wind speed, and help us carry the gliders back up the dunes. Some of the Tar Heels and Buckeyes (North Carolinians and Ohioians)  who are helping to organize this event are planning tours and talks -- we will publish more about these as their plans take shape.

Is their anybody arranging for transportation and accomodations? You betcha. There are two groups arranging buses and tours.

• Dayton, Ohio -- If you live near Dayton, Ohio, call Jim Beisner at (937) 339-3450. Or ping him at mailto:[email protected]
• Cleveland, Ohio -- This will be a special event for Cleveland Aviation enthusiasts because we're building a replica of the 1902 Wright Glider for Cleveland's Crawford Museum. This replica incorporates a piece of a Wright aircraft, and we'll be flying it during this centennial celebration. If you're interested in coming, call Tammy Brown at (216) 721-5722 extension 229, or ping her at mailto:[email protected].

What can you bring? Your camera, your enthusiasm, and plenty of sun block. And a glider -- don't forget the glider if you have one.  Remember, we will give you $500 just for showing up with a pioneer glider.

Hope to see you there!

If you'd like to know more about aviation archaeology and our expedition in pioneer aviation, our director, Nick Engler, participated in an online interview for NASA Quest in October 2001 as we were flying our gliders near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. You can see the transcript of the interview here:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/chats/
10-16-01ne.html

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Thank you SMASH!
Our tent is up on the sands of Jockeys Ridge, thanks to Smash Entertainment. When we lost our tent during a recent storm at the Cleveland Air Show, Smash, who is producing a Wright documentary for the History Channel, rented one for us.

Read the military news story about "Return to Kitty Hawk," filed from the USS Kitty Hawk at anchor near Tokyo, Japan. Click HERE.

ETA for Pilots
Lt. Cdr. Ohman is due in- country on October 1, and Cpt. Markow will arrive on the 4th. Read their bios HERE. Our official Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company test pilot, Dudley Mead, will also arrive on the 4th, and our Kitty Hawk-based pilot, Kevin Adams is already here. Dudley and Kevin will help instruct our military guest pilots.

Navy Fly-By
Things are looking good for a Navy F-18 to scream by our gliders on October 5. It ought to be a great sight -- 100 years of aviation history compressed into a single moment. Watch this space for the scheduled fly-by time.

A pictorial history of our

This is also the airplane in which the Wright learned to fly. They made over 2000 flights in the 1902 glider and those skills helped insure their success on December 17, 1903.
Return to Kitty Hawk is so far the only cooperative Centennial of Flight program between the people of Dayton, Ohio and the North Carolina Outerbanks. The Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company has thoroughly enjoyed the interest, enthusiasm, and hospitality of our North Carolina hosts, and we sincerely hope we can do more together in the future.