Kittyhawk Day (1903)

[WaspAir]

The Wright Bros. big event was 17 Dec 1903, 119 years ago today. Raise a glass to those pioneers! We owe them big time.

 

[MikeBoyette]

Crazy boys.

 

[okikuma]

A friend of mine Dave who has since passed away had two chairs that Wilbur and Orville used while in school. Dave's grandfather was a minister in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ (Old Constitution) whereas MIlton Wright, Wilbur and Orville's father was Bishop. Dave's father learned to fly under the direction of Orville and his then license was signed by Orville. Unfortunately, I do not know what happened to those historic chairs after Dave's passing.

A good friend of my mother, the actor Robert "Bob" Cummings' godfather was Orville Wright. Orville taught Bob how to fly while he was in High School. Bob was also issued the first Commercial Pilot certificate (#1) in the U.S.

Wayne

 

[WaspAir]

If memory serves, he also had a Moult Taylor Aerocar.

 

[okikuma]

If memory serves, he also had a Moult Taylor Aerocar.View attachment 1156842

That's correct JR. Bob did at one time own a Moult Taylor Aerocar. Bob also owned a Portifield that was painted green and given the name "Spinach." The airplane still exists at KWHP in SoCal.



Back in early 1942, Bob was a member of the then new Civil Air Patrol. He and another old friend of mine that has long since passed away, Archie Lester were tasked to find the Japanese submarine that shelled the Ellwood Oil Storage area, just off Goleta, California on the evening of February 23, 1942. They never found the submarine. One night later on February 24 and the early morning of February 25, there was the famous "Great Los Angeles Air Raid."

Wayne