On December 17, 1903, conditions were not ideal for spectators at Kill Devil Hills on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. But they were ideal for the participants in a grand experiment. Winds of 27 mph with gusts to 35 mph caused the Wright Brothers to ignore the brisk 39 degree air temperature and grey, overcast skies as they took to the air in their gas engine powered aircraft.
One hundred years later, the recreation of the Wright Brothers’ famous first powered flight was a disappointment as the weather was uncooperative at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Thousands of attendees stood in the rain as 10:35 a.m. hour passed with insufficient wind to attempt the flight.
President Bush arrived shortly thereafter, and the flight was attempted just after noon. The 1903 replica flyer moved down a wooden track like the one the Wright Brothers used, but it caught in the mud and did not get off the ground.
It takes near perfect weather conditions to launch the craft. Winds must be at least ten mph, but at 22 mph or higher, it becomes difficult to control. While the re-enactment did not go perfectly, thank goodness that the original flight did.
