National Aviation Day

Tomorrow is my birthday. Every year I'm asked what it is I'd like for my birthday and every year I don't have a clue. So, this year I've been pointing out all kinds of things to my kids, mostly books, a little outdoor table so I can sit my water feature on it, steak dinner, but I never thought to ask for a national holiday in my honor.

I don't think Orville Wright asked for it either, but that's exactly what Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave him on August 19, 1939. And why wouldn't the President of the United States give the man such an honor? Although I'm sure Roosevelt had no idea just how much the Wright brothers would influence the future of the world.

November 16, 1904-Library of Congress

This honor was bestowed on Orville Wright only a few short weeks before the start of WWII and a few years before the United States entered the war. Of course, planes were used during WWI.

National Museum of the United States Air Force

The image above is a replica of the Wright Model A. It was the first model the brothers made to sell. It also landed them a $30,000 contract with the U.S. Army Signal Corps for a modified version. An interesting note here, the Wrights sold licenses to other countries. Germany was the largest producer. Hmm, I wonder if the brothers knew the future ramifications of that particular deal and I wonder how they felt when WWII occurred.

Wright Model A
Military aviation
War Planes
Orville Wright
Salute to your service

Schools sometimes take advantage of National Aviation Day to teach children about the history of flight. Some aviation museums celebrate the day by honoring other well known aviators such as Amelia Earhart.


Happy Friday, 


Christina