Flight
From Kitty Hawk in 1903 to the pilots and astronauts who trained here. 19 places on the trail.
The New South, 1878-1929
- H-113ALTON STEWART 1897-1929Aviation pioneer. His aerial shows helped popularize flying in N.C. Died in crash, Dec. 25, 1929. Grave 3 blks. W.
- K-65JAMES McCONNELL 1887-1917World War I soldier; aviator. Flew for France in Lafayette Escadrille. Killed in action, March 19, 1917. Lived 1 mi. W.
- P-44KIFFIN Y. ROCKWELLWorld War I soldier, aviator. First pilot of Escadrille Lafayette to shoot down enemy plane. Killed in action, Sept. 23,...
- I-82POPE FIELDEst. 1919. Named for Lt. Harley Pope, Army aviator. Became Air Force base in 1948. Since 2011 part of Fort Bragg. 1 ½ mi...
- B-4WRIGHT BROTHERSOn December 17, 1903, from site near foot of Kill Devil Hill, Orville and Wilbur Wright made first successful powered fl...
Modern North Carolina, 1930 on
- G-117'TINY' BROADWICK 1893-1978Aviation pioneer & first woman to parachute from an airplane, 1913. Demonstrated uses of parachutes to Army, 1914. Grave...
- G-132ASTRONAUT TRAININGMorehead Planetarium trained NASA astronauts in celestial navigation for Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab missions, 1960-...
- L-67CAMP SUTTONWorld War II army camp, trained 13,000 engineers. Named for R.C.A.F. pilot Frank Sutton of Monroe, killed December 7, 19...
- C-68CHERRY POINTU.S. Marine Corps Air Station activated 1941 as Cunningham Field for first USMC aviator A.A. Cunningham. MCAS Cherry Poi...
- B-68CIVIL AIR PATROLCoastal Patrol Base, first in N.C., opened ½ mi. S.E., in 1942. Civilian pilots supported military and patrolled for Ger...
- J-80GEORGE PREDDY 1919-1944World War II fighter pilot. N.C.'s leading ace. Killed in action. Home 1 block east.
- E-45GEORGE V. HOLLOMAN 1902-1946Colonel U.S. Air Force, World War II. Pioneer in developing automatic devices for airplane control. Home 150 yds. W.
- K-63LAURINBURG-MAXTON ARMY AIR BASEU.S. Army Air Force glider base, 1942-45. Trained units active in D-Day assault, June 6, 1944. Field 3 mi. N.
- J-119MARY NICHOLSON 1905-1943Early female commercial pilot. Joined the British Air Transport Auxiliary during WWII. Died in plane crash, 1943. Her gr...
- C-87MICHAEL J. SMITH 1945-1986Astronaut, Navy aviator. Pilot of ill-fated space shuttle Challenger, lost Jan. 28, 1986. Recipient, Space Medal of Hono...
- L-118MORRIS FIELDA U.S. Army air base, 1941-1946. Named for Maj. William Morris, WWI pilot. The 5,000 acre facility became airport at thi...
- J-121ROBERT OPIE LINDSAY 1894-1952Fighter pilot. State's only WWI ace. Shot down 6 German planes, 1918. Born 1 mi. SW.
- F-59SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASEField used, 1942-46, for flight training by Army Air Forces; reopened in 1956. Named for Seymour Johnson, naval aviator ...
- C-88WOMEN AIRFORCE SERVICE PILOTSFifty-two highly skilled WASP flew training and test missions, 1943-44, from airstrip ¾ mi. N.