Monument for the launching point of the first powered flight (click to enlarge)

Wright Brothers Airfield Attractions

Next to the Wright Brothers 1903 Camp at Wright Brothers National Memorial is the site of the first powered flight. It is marked with a granite monument. A replica of the monorail used to guide the plane to takeoff has been installed in front of the monument.

Four granite monuments farther down the field mark the landing spots of the flight attempts on December 17^th. The first three are not far from the takeoff spot, the farthest of them being just 200 feet from liftoff, but the fourth is 852 feet down the field and marks the landing spot of the final flight. Whether or not the Wrights would have attempted further flights that day is unknown, but since their Wright Flyer crashed and was damaged on the fourth attempt, that put an end to things for the day. The brothers estimated that they could fix the plane in a couple of days, but as it was being brought back down the airstrip a strong wind caught it, flipping it over a couple times and damaging it beyond repair. The plane never flew again, and it is now in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D. C. A working replica is on display in the Fight Room of the Visitor Center.

You can walk down the field to all of the markers. It is about a ten-minute round trip walk.