5 Ways to Celebrate National Aviation Day

5 Ways to Celebrate National Aviation Day
By Robert D Clay

It was in 1903 when the Wright Brothers completed their first successful flight. To this day, we look up to the feat as one of the most inspiring acts in history. And now that National Aviation Day is approaching, it is more appropriate than ever to look back and see how far we've gone in aviation.

On August 19, we celebrate National Aviation Day, an event that honors the Wright Brothers' contribution to society. Want to partake in the celebration? Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Visit the Wright Brothers National Memorial.

Do you want to see where it all began? A visit to the Kill Devil Hills in North Carolina will give you a good glimpse of aviation history. This is the location where the Wright Brothers launched their first controlled, powered aircraft. In 1932, a 60-foot granite monument was established on the site. This is what we now call the Wright Brothers National Memorial. From there, you will see markers representing the launching and landing points of Orville aircraft, as well as various exhibits and a number of museums within the area.

2. Check out aviation museums.

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museums have the largest collection of aviation artifacts. Located in Virginia and Washington DC, the museums also hold educational activities and programs to the eight million visitors that go to the museums each year.

3. Go on an aerial scenic tour of your city.

See your city in a new perspective when you go an airplane or helicopter tour. With a bird's eye view of the buildings and other landmarks, you're bound to have a new appreciation for your city. The tour usually takes less than an hour (depending on where you're headed) and cost a couple hundred of dollars per person. If money is no object, and you'd like to go on a quick adventure, aerial scenic tours would be perfect.

4. Teach children about the history of aviation.

Children are familiar with modern aircraft-the one with gigantic wings and multi engines. But only a few of them know about the rugged wooden glider that was the Wright Flyer. Read to them books about airplanes and see their eyes light up with curiosity.

5. Build your own model plane.

As a kid, you probably have built paper planes. Relive the memories of your childhood by building your own model aircraft. But if you're not into scale modeling, you can check out the already built aircraft models. These collectibles are great to put on as displays, but most importantly, they represent the aircraft's history.

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