Whew, that's a pretty complicated formula. Know what's not complicated? The decision to come to the Soaring 100 Celebration on October 21-24th!
What, you might be asking, is all this Soaring 100 hullabaloo about? In a nutshell: Orville Wright's world-record-setting 1911 glider flight that impacted forever the science and sport of flying. While Orville's foundational flight only lasted 9 minutes and 45 seconds (a record that stood for ten years), its legacy lives in every hang glider that glides and every sailplane that sails. And we're celebrating that legacy at the Soaring 100 Celebration. Okay, so you probably couldn't really fit all that into a nutshell.
Since this blog has garnered no small amount of fame for its handy, timely, and insightful top ten lists, we decided to bring you…
The Top Ten Reasons to Come to Soaring 100
- Souvenir mail delivered by glider at Jockey's Ridge State Park! (Word on the street is they're sending it “air mail”)
- The NASA “Driven to Explore” exhibit, complete with a three-billion year-old moon rock you can actually touch.
- A symposium on early motorless flight coordinated by the senior curator of the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum.
- A glider-building workshop and time aloft contest for youngsters.
- A 1911-themed Ragtime Gala at duck Woods Country Club, with top-notch entertainment to compliment a gourmet menu.
- A “Legends of hang gliding” series. And, man, can these guys tell stories.
- You can see a life-size replica of Orville's storied 1911 glider.
- You get to meet one of only three women astronauts to ever pilot a shuttle. Susan Kilrain's one impressive pilot.
- The opportunity to see hang gliders and sailplanes towed aloft from the First Flight airstrip and land on the wright brothers Memorial's hallowed ground.
- It's 96 hours of history, flight, and fun…and it's all free! (But gate fees at the Wright Brothers Memorial do still apply).
For more information and a full schedule, visit www.Soaring100.com. You can get your tickets to the opening night barbecue at Jockey's Ridge Crossing, the Ragtime Gala, and the Landing Party at Pamlico Jack's there, too. Kitty Hawk Kites is proud to be a sponsor of this momentous Wright achievement. We'll see you there!
Originally posted on Oct. 17, 2011. Updated on Jan. 23, 2020.
