Celebrate Your Freedom to Fly. National Aviation Day 19th August.
On National Aviation Day we celebrate our freedom to fly and reflect on how far we have come since Wilbur and Orville Wright took to the sky in 1903.
The first successful flights in a heavier-than-air, mechanically propelled air plane, that were made by Orville and Wilbur Wright on December 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. On September 24, 1959 U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower declared December 17 to be Wright Brothers Day.
The National Aviation Day (August 19) celebrates the development of aviation. The holiday was established in 1939 by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who issued a presidential proclamation which designated the anniversary of Orville Wright’s birthday to be National Aviation Day (Mr. Wright, born in 1871, was still alive when the proclamation was first issued, and would live another nine years). The proclamation was codified (USC 36:I:A:1:118), and it allows the sitting US President to proclaim August 19 as National Aviation Day each year, if desired.
“Today we honour the aviators of the Corps on National Aviation Day. From fixed wing to rotary wing, Marine aviators have fought our battles for 106 years.”-U.S. Marine Corps
Wright Brothers Day was announced as an official commemorative day in Ohio, on October 5, 2011, celebrating 100 years of practical flight for the Wright Brothers.
In 2014 No Sleep Records commemorated the holiday by releasing Aviator’s debut LP Head In The Clouds, Hands In The Dirt, and in the same year Rockstar Games commemorated the holiday by releasing aviation themed downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto V.
Air shows on or near the time of National Aviation Day for August 2018 and into September, include:
- Chicago Air and Water Show
When: August 18-19, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.Don’t miss: The US Air Force Thunderbirds elite flight demonstration team puts on an amazing display of precision flying. Their jet of choice: the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Among the Thunderbirds’ breathtaking maneuvers is the Reflection Pass — when two jets fly one over the other — with the lower jet flying upside down.
- Atlantic City Airshow
When: August 22, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.Don’t miss: The Canadian Forces Snowbirds 431 Air Demonstration Squadron is truly a pleasure to watch. These elite pilots fly old-school Canadair CT-114 Tutor jets — a single-engine, T-tail trainer that dates back to the 1960s. They also perform with nine planes, instead of the typical six-plane team. Signature flying formations include the Big Diamond.
- Canadian International Air Show
When: September 1-3, noon-3 p.m.Don’t miss: The Pentagon’s newest and most technologically sophisticated fighter jet — the F-35 Lightning — makes an appearance with the Heritage Flight Team. If you’ve never seen an F-35 fly, you should. Based on previous performances, possible thrilling maneuvers could include near-vertical ascent, spirals and inverted flight.
- Cleveland National Air Show
When: September 1-3, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.Don’t miss: This may be your last chance to see famed aerobatic pilot Sean D. Tucker perform solo. After a 40-year career, Tucker announced plans to retire from solo aerobatics at the end of this season. He plans to donate his custom Oracle Challenger III to the Smithsonian.
- New York Air Show
When: September 15-16, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.Don’t miss: If you’ve never seen a really large jet like a C-17 Globemaster air lifter perform at an air show, you’re in for a treat. A flight demonstration by a C-17 is like a pro-wrestler dancing a ballet. You’re watching a 5-story air plane that weighs more than a quarter million pounds and has a wingspan of nearly 170 feet execute turns and passes very close to the airfield. It’s truly jaw-dropping.
The Chicago Air and Water show will host a NASA village in 2018. The NASA village, active for August 17 to 19, 2018 also celebrates the 60th anniversary of NASA and includes information about projects like the Space Launch System, a large rocket under development in the 2010s. As part of the National Aviation Day festivities at the North beach location, NASA will open its Journey to Tomorrow travelling exhibit.
It’s National Aviation Day! Today we not only celebrate our freedom to fly, but reflect on how far we’ve come since the Wright brothers took to the sky. In honour of this day, and to keep our right to fly, learn how to support our advocacy efforts.-EEA, The Spirit of Aviation.
