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Historic Events, a sampling

Appreciation is expressed to Dr. Tom Crouch, senior curator of the Division of Aeronautics at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, and to Steve Alterman, President of the Cargo Airline Association, for their encouragement in the compilation of significant aviation accomplishments incorporated on the Monument's granite panels. And to artist Glenn Eure who created the images which embellish the language.

December 17 · 1903
Kitty Hawk, NC
Orville and Wilbur Wright accomplish world's first powered, controlled, sustained manned flight in heavier-than-air machine

May 20-21 · 1927
Charles Lindbergh in his Spirit of St. Louis becomes first to solo across the Atlantic

1931
Britain's Frank Whittle designs jet engine

May 20-21 · 1932
Amelia Earhart becomes first woman and second person to fly solo across the Atlantic

1957
Soviets launch first artificial satellite in space, Sputnik

July 20 · 1969
Neil A. Armstrong walks on the moon
ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN;
ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND

1976
Viking Landers touch down on Mars

Humankind is a continuum of pioneers sharing timeless dreams and the boundless possibilities of vast unexplored worlds.

View Pylon Designs:
(PDF files, 245-375kb each;
Adobe® Reader® is a free download at www.adobe.com.)

pylon #1 | pylon #2 | pylon #3
pylon #4 | pylon #5 | pylon #6
pylon #7 | pylon #8 | pylon #9
pylon #10 | pylon #11 | pylon #12
pylon #13 | pylon #14


The Artists

The concept for the Kitty Hawk Monument to a Century of Flight, with its orbit of ascending wing-shaped pylons depicting man's journey in a single century from earthbound to the moon and beyond, is that of Outer Banks of North Carolina artist, Glenn Eure. The design evolved out of the collaborative efforts of Eure and two acclaimed sculptors, Hanna Jubran and Jodi Hollnagel Jubran. The Jubrans are professors at East Carolina University School of Art and are involved in the creation of public sculptures around the world. They fabricated the Monument's pylons and created the center bronze dome.


Left to right: Hanna Jubran, Jodi Hollnagel Jubran, Glenn Eure

Design Features

The Monument's essential structure consists of fourteen wing-shaped stainless steel pylons (shown top) ascending in height from 10 feet to 20 feet in an orbit of 120 feet, the distance traveled by the brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright in that historic "first" flight on December 17, 1903.

Each pylon's curved side correlates with a wing foil.

The flat faces of the pylons showcase black granite panels engraved with language and images about one hundred of the most significant events in aviation in its first century (shown left).

The orbit of pylons culminates in a center bronze dome, (shown below) six feet in diameter, depicting the continents of earth joined by a centennial message coming from Kitty Hawk.

Inside the orbit of pylons and surrounding the center bronze, the heartbeat of the Monument is a courtyard of 4,600 bricks engraved with messages of sponsors from around the world.

At the Monument's entrance is a granite marker inscribed with the poem “High Flight,”words from the past written by James G. Magee, Jr., a 19-year-old American pilot, that echo eloquently over the decades for all aviators who have danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds. (Click here to read "High Flight.)

A time capsule placed by the First Flight Club of Rotary International beside the granite entrance marker to the Monument is carrying messages to the people of 2103.

The Monument to a Century of Flight is a public park open and accessible to all without admission charge.


© Copyright 2007 The Town of Kitty Hawk.