Students and graduates from First Flight High School in North Carolina have made aviation history, completing the first aircraft built on the hallowed grounds of the Wright Brothers National Memorial since Wilbur and Orville Wright themselves assembled their flyer there over a century ago. The two-year project, celebrated by descendants of the Wright brothers, is set to take flight in the new year, creating a profound link between the pioneers of aviation and the next generation.
In Kill Devil Hills, where the first powered flight lasted a mere 12 seconds in 1903, a new chapter was written this week. More than 100 people, including Paul Wright Jameson, a great-great nephew of the famous brothers, gathered to witness the unveiling. The aircraft, a modern light sport plane, represents thousands of hours of labor by teens who literally followed in the footsteps of legends. “The historical meaning behind all of it… we are the first ones to build an aircraft right here since the Wright brothers. That’s wonderful,” said Alexander Sharp, a senior at the school.
The project was the culmination of the school’s Aviation Program, led by retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Joey “JT” Tynch. Under his guidance, students took wooden crates filled with thousands of parts and meticulously assembled a fully functional plane. “All these young men and women for the rest of their lives, can say they built the first aircraft on this spot since the Wright Brothers,” Tynch stated, according to event coverage. He marveled at their dedication, noting they “embraced that, and they just ran with it so hard.”
READ ALSO: https://modernmechanics24.com/post/mystery-luxury-737-homeland-security/
For the Wright family descendants, the event was deeply moving. Paul Wright Jameson reflected on the cyclical nature of innovation at the site. “Wilbur and Orville kind of invented a whole bunch of stuff just to make the airplane work. Now that they have the ability to kind of do that, that you can teach students to do that, that’s what’s great,” he said. The family has returned to the area for decades, immersed in the story, making the students’ achievement a personal point of pride.
The aircraft is far more than a static museum piece. The clear plan is for it to fly, with its maiden voyage targeted for early next year. This tangible goal provided a powerful motivator throughout the complex build process, reported attendees. Gavin Dibler, a program graduate, captured the sentiment: “It’s a very significant point because no one else has built it here, and we’re kind of following in the steps of our forefathers. There’s nothing like it.”
The ceremony also included the induction of aviation legend William P. Lear, founder of Learjet, into the First Flight Society. This bridged the gap between the Wrights’ foundational achievement, the students’ hands-on accomplishment, and the century of industry advancement that followed. The event underscored a powerful educational philosophy: that history is best honored not just through study, but through active, skilled creation. By building where the Wright brothers built, these students have connected with aviation’s origins in the most direct way possible, transforming themselves from spectators of history into its active participants.
READ ALSO: https://modernmechanics24.com/post/frog-gut-bacterium-cures-cancer-tumors/
