Nat’l Aviation Day Party Celebrates Wright Birthday

Aviation got off the ground here in North Carolina when the Wright brothers made their first flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903.

Wednesday is Orville Wright’s birthday, which also marks National Aviation Day.

Aviation enthusiasts across the country marked the occasion.

They even cut a birthday cake for Orville Wright at the Coastal Carolina Regional Airport in New Bern Wednesday morning.

The airport’s director says the influence of aviation is strong here in the east.

“It has a huge impact economically,“ Tom Braaten said. “And I think it’s a huge impact just on the community. Because the patriotism here is really high. People understand the relationship between the military, the security of the country and the well-being of the country as a whole.“

The holiday was established by a presidential proclamation in 1939.