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Why Kitty Hawk, North Carolina?
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Wilbur and Orville Wright grew up in Dayton, Ohio. Yet they made Kitty Hawk, North Carolina "First in Flight" with their achievement on December 17, 1903. Did you ever wonder why it was Kitty Hawk, (more specifically Kill Devil Hills), that became so famous?
The
brothers began their
journey into human flight by experimenting with gliders. When they had a full size
glider large enough for a man, they needed a place to fly it. On November 27, 1899, Wilbur
wrote to the U.S. Weather Bureau for information on the windiest places in
the US.
Wilbur made a "request for
wind velocities, Chicago or vicinity for August through October.
If possible the information should include average and maximum
velocity each day."
According to "Miracle at Kitty Hawk" the Wright Brothers wanted a "sandy area for soft landings, slopes free of trees or shrubs for gliding and adequate winds." Looking at the list, Chicago, Illinois would have had too many people, ( no way to keep the experiment secret.) Sioux City, Iowa would not have had nice soft beaches and Amarillo, Texas might have been too far away. The brothers chose a remote sandy area on the outer banks of North Carolina named Kitty Hawk, where winds averaged 13 m.p.h. They wrote to the weather station at Kitty Hawk. Mr. Joseph J. Dosher responded: August 16, 1900
In reply to your of
the 3rd, I will say the beach here is about one mile wide, clear of
trees or high hills and extends for nearly sixty miles same condition.
The wind blows mostly from the north and northeast September and
October...... Wilbur also got a letter from William J. Tate, Kitty Hawk's best educated resident informing him that Kitty Hawk had Telegraph communication, daily mail, and hospitable people, and confirming that Kitty Hawk would be a "fine place...to try your machine." He and Orville then journeyed to Kitty Hawk where they tested the 1900 glider. . For the next four years Kitty Hawk provided open space and a hill from which to launch their flying machines. |
Data Source: Monthly Weather Review,
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