By Murphy Grant
Co-Editor-In-Chief

[dropcap]T [/dropcap]he fight over “first in flight” took a surprising turn in June when Connecticut passed a bill giving credit to German native Gustave Whitehead for the first fixed-wing, heavier-than-air motorized flight, essentially rewriting history. For North Carolina and Ohio, two states that have long argued over which should claim the Wright Brothers’ accomplishment as their own, history cannot be changed on a whim.

“If it’s wrong for one state to distort history, it’s just as wrong for other states to accept it in silence,” Ohio State Rep. Rick Perales said during a news conference on Oct. 24.

Perales and North Carolina State Senator Bill Cook held the joint news conference via Skype to discuss the controversy over the new legislation. Perales, speaking from the hangar of Wright “B” Flyer Inc. at Dayton Wright Brothers’ Airport south of Dayton, acknowledged the significance of the two states coming together to defend their shared heritage.

“Who would have thought that North Carolina and Ohio could be in sync on a Wright Brothers’ issue?” Perales said. “We’ve always fought about who owned what. Now, we’re going to come together and put that aside.”

Cook, the District 1 senator representing Dare County, spoke at the Kill Devil Hills Town Hall and was adamant that, due to the lack of sufficient evidence, any claims were false.

“I’m also pleased to stand with Ohio State Representative Rick Perales on this issue,” Cook said. “North Carolinians are proud of our heritage. ‘First in Flight’ is on our state license plates.”

With the claim, Connecticut legislators have attempted to change history by striking out the Wright Brothers. They claim Gustave Whitehead, who was a resident of Bridgeport, Conn., flew for the first time in 1901, two years before the Wright Brothers’ flight on Dec. 17, 1903. Witnesses claim Whitehead flew at about 50 feet for almost two miles on Aug. 14, 1901. To support the claim, a photo that supposedly documents Whitehead’s flight has been released by an anonymous reporter of “Scientific American.” Neither Cook nor Perales believe the picture proves anything.

“Nothing like the detailed photos and data the Wright Brothers produced has ever emerged. The photograph of the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight is one of the most famous pictures ever taken,” Perales said. “The best Whitehead fans have come up with is a fuzzy photo of a photo that shows nothing but indistinct shapes.”

Cook agreed.

“I don’t know about you, but I think it is a fraud,” Cook said, holding up a copy of the picture for those attending the press conference at the Kill Devil Hills Town Hall.

Perales said he would counter the Connecticut claim with his own legislation.

“I will sponsor a resolution in the Ohio House of Representatives affirming they (the Wright Brothers) were the first to fly as supported by all of the experts,” Perales said.

Cook said North Carolina had already rejected Whitehead’s claims. In 1985, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a resolution affirming the Wright Brothers were “first in flight.”

“Whitehead supporters have suggested that their evidence is strong enough to prove their case in a court of law,” Cook said. “In fact, as aviation pioneer, Grover Loening, noted, the claim did have its day in court and was soundly rejected.”

For both North Carolina and Ohio, the controversy is not solely about bragging rights. Both states benefit significantly from tourist dollars spent by the thousands of people that visit these states and, more specifically, the Wright Brothers’ landmarks. In 2012, more than 469,000 people visited the Wright Brothers National Memorial, according to the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce. The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force draws more than a million visitors each year, according to Perales.

“The Wright Brothers’ Monument brings scores of groups. It is a part of school kids’ curriculum,” said Warren Judge, chairman of the Dare County Board of Commissioners. “Senior groups and foreign groups also come. It couples nicely with the beauty. The history has a great impact on the economy.”

Historians are not ready to accept the claim as fact either. Some 34 aviation historians signed a document in support of the Wright Brothers.

The sentiment was also expressed by a Connecticut resident who joined the press conference by telephone.

“Not everyone in Connecticut believes the claim, apologies to North Carolina and Ohio,” said Carl Stidsen, a research historian associated with the New England Air Museum.

Another caller, also from Connecticut, questioned why Whitehead would have kept his accomplishments to himself, had he, in fact, been the “first in flight.”

Cook pointed out that the Wright Brothers continued with their powered flight experiments in the United States, England, France and Germany, becoming world-renowned in the process.

“The Wright Brothers’ achievements have been affirmed by the president, the Congress of the United States, federal courts, scholars and museums around the world,” Cook said.

Whitehead made no attempts to patent his machine or show it off. The only clear pictures of Whitehead are with him standing next to the machine.

“All the facts clearly point to the Wright Brothers,” Perales said.

Cook believes that the truth will prevail.

“Sometimes you have to reiterate something so people know it is the truth,” Cook said. “This is an issue that speaks to the heart and pride of our states.”

For students growing up with the monument in their backyards, this news comes as a shock.

“It kind of makes me angry because I have grown up my whole life going up the monument knowing they (the Wright Brothers) were the first to fly,” freshman Miller Cipriano said. “I still think the Wright Brothers were the first to fly.”

In this historical debate, many wonder what a change in history could do to the Outer Banks.

History teachers also recognize the importance of such a claim.

“As a history teacher, I find that everything which happened in the past is in some way a part of history. However, each and every event has to be recorded, documented and supported by some type of evidence,” U.S. History teacher Emilie Aliamus said.

For locals, it is fitting North Carolina remains first in flight.

“Visitors go back and talk about the beauty of the Outer Banks,” Dare County Commissioner Virginia Tillett said. “The history of Dare County is great. This country started here and it is only fitting that the Wright Brothers flew for the first time here.”

[accordion title=”110th Anniversary “]The Wright Brothers’ National Memorial will host the 110th anniversary celebration of powered flight on Dec. 17. Wilbur and Orville Wright’s achievements will be honored with numerous activities. The schedule for the day includes:

8:45 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Northeastern High School Band Performance
9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
110th anniversary ceremonies: The Wright Brothers’ Story will be presented by Darrell Collins. Keynote Speaker Louis Mancini, Senior Vice President, Commercial Airplane Services, Boeing will deliver an address. Then a Tribute to Honoree William Edward Boeing and his induction to the shrine.
10:35 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Aviation fly-by as a tribute to the Wright Brothers.
11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Placing of the wreaths at the boulder site.
11:30 a.m. – Noon
Meet and Greet with the members of the Wright family.[/accordion]

[accordion title=”Additional information:”]

• http://www.firstflight.org/
• http://gustavewhitehead.org/[/accordion]

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