On August 19, National Aviation Day, we should reflect on the majesty of flight. Yet, certain scientific and technological miracles have become so commonplace that we rarely reexamine their revolutionary impact with an open and inquisitive mind. In just a few generations, aviation has evolved from pure conjecture to a mundane reality that inspires about as much awe as a ride on a Greyhound bus.
This indifference to the miracle of flight is what makes National Aviation Day an outstanding national holiday. Additionally, it occurs on Orville Wright’s birthday!
The background of National Aviation Day
Yes, some of us continue to contemplate something that seems delightfully implausible while gazing out the aeroplane window. We are, after all, seated within a massive aircraft travelling thousands of feet above the ground at hundreds of miles per hour. Why is this so? Without the innovations inspired by the Wright Brothers’ initial experiments on a sandy stretch of North Carolina coastline, many of the mechanical, technological, and scientific breakthroughs in space travel would be inconceivable.
The proclamation for National Aviation Day encourages “the people of the United States to observe National Aviation Day with appropriate activities to increase interest in aviation in the United States.” Simply put, it’s a day for aircraft to remain on the membrane! According to legend, Chinese Emperor Wang Mang ordered a soldier to attach two wings to his back so that he could fly 100 metres. According to Algerian historian Ahmed Mohammed al-Maqqari, Abbas ibn Firnas covered himself in feathers, affixed wings to his body, and “flew a considerable distance.” Sir George Cayley, an English engineer, outlined the characteristics of a modern aeroplane: a fixed-wing vehicle with lift, propulsion, and control mechanisms.
The birthplace of Orville Wright is Dayton, Ohio. Wilbur, his older sibling, was born on April 16, 1867 in Millville, Indiana. The Wright Brothers completed the first sustained flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft on a spit of land four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, with Orville at the controls and Wilbur adjusting the wings.
National Aviation Day Quotes and Greetings
DAY OF NATIONAL AVIATION ACTIVITIES
Journey to North Carolina
What better way to recognise the accomplishments of the Wright brothers than to fly to North Carolina and visit the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills? Consider it a pilgrimage to the site of the first American flight.
Create your own aircraft
It need not be an actual one, of course. Legos allow for the construction of aircraft. Or, you can opt for the paper aeroplane, a school-days staple.
Go “planespotting”!
Gather with a group of friends at a location from which you can observe aeroplane takeoffs and landings. If the mood strikes you, bring refreshments for a “planespotting” picnic!
5 AWESOME FACTS ABOUT AVIATION
Although it may appear that many people are afraid of flying, only about 6.5% of the population suffers from aviophobia.
About 5 percent of the global population has flown on an aeroplane.
The first U.S. president to travel in an aeroplane was the daring Theodore Roosevelt, who flew on October 11, 1910 in a Wright Flyer.
The Wright Brothers received their mechanical training as bicycle shop proprietors.
A Boeing 747 without its engines can glide approximately two miles for every 1,000 feet above the earth.
NATIONAL AVIATION DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | August 19 | Saturday |
| 2024 | August 19 | Monday |
| 2025 | August 19 | Tuesday |
| 2026 | August 19 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | August 19 | Thursday |
