Wind, Sand, & Isolation

Wilbur and Orville Wright tested and proved their flight theories in Dayton, Ohio, but for actual flight experiments they needed a special location. Using U.S. Weather Bureau statistics, they searched for a place that was windy, sandy, and out of the public eye, and found Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on the Outer Banks to be the right area to test their gliders. As Orville Wright wrote to his sister in 1900, they came for wind and sand and found them. Wind helped with lift, sand provided a soft landing, and the isolated location offered privacy from the public.

Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina · United States