Which National Park Service site commemorates the Wright brothers’ first successful powered airplane flight?

Wright Brothers National Memorial commemorates the Wright brothers’ first successful powered airplane flight.

The memorial stands at Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where Orville and Wilbur Wright made four powered flights on December 17, 1903. The longest flight lasted 59 seconds and covered 852 feet.

The brothers chose the Outer Banks because its steady winds, soft sand, and open terrain were useful for testing aircraft. Their earlier glider experiments helped them develop the control system that made powered flight practical.

The first flight site is sometimes described simply as Kitty Hawk, but the launch area is now within the town of Kill Devil Hills. The National Park Service memorial preserves the location and interprets the experiments that led to the flights.