Our Hometown
|
|
One hundred years ago, people flew in gliders, or air balloons. In 1903, two young men went beyond imagination and figured out how to keep an airplane in flight, if only for a few seconds. 100 years later, cruising at 600 miles per hour, five miles above the earth, is 'no big deal.' Ed Britt of Newark and Jay Robinson of Red Creek flew last month to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, to help celebrate the genius and courage of the Wright Brothers and the miracle of flight. Britt and Robinson each own an airplane. They flew to the Kitty Hawk area and stayed with Naomi Rhodes, girlfriend of Britt's son Thomas. Rhodes lives three miles from Kill Devil Hill, where two brothers from Dayton Ohio, self-taught tinkerers, flew their craft the 'Wright Flyer' on December 17, 1903. The original 1903 Wright Flyer is on permanent display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, Britt and Robinson arrived on December 12, and enjoyed the airshow events and temporary displays set up for the celebration. A highlight of the event was a 100-man parachute drop, and a chance to see the 'Candy Bomber,' an air transport used during the famed Berlin airlift. Robinson participated in the use of a simulator of the 'Wright Flyer' and spent four or five minutes in the air. Britt and Robinson enjoyed their time in Kitty Hawk, but did not stay for the planned re-creation of the 1903 flight. More than 35,000 people attending convinced Britt and Robinson to watch it on television back home. It was raining on the sixth and final day of the celebration. Winds on North Carolina's Outer Banks were uncharacteristically calm, when the delicate wood and muslin replica of the Wright Brothers heavier-than-air machine failed to get off the ground and crashed into a mud puddle. Organizers of the event, the pilot, Kevin Kochersberger, and aviation enthusiasts were disappointed but like Orville and Wilber Wright, were unable to control the weather. Their are no plans to attempt to fly the plane again. The craft, financed by the Ford Motor Co., is scheduled to join the collection at the Greenfield Village, Michigan. Britt is 89 years old and has lived on Grant Street in Newark since the 1950's. He and his late wife Helene moved to Newark in 1946, when Britt, along with George and Dick Baker, established the Baker-Britt Printing Co., located on West Miller St. Britt took his first flying lesson in 1936 and has flown thousands of miles since, obtaining his pilot's license in 1950. He has owned several aircraft and now flies his single engine 'Bonanza 35' out of the Seneca Falls airport. He still flies, but because of his heart pacemaker, he must have a safety pilot with him. Britt has a friend who at age 95 still flies alone. When asked to chronicle special experiences as a pilot of a small aircraft, Britt tells about his WWII experiences, many of which he has recorded on tape for Newark High School. At age 26, too 'old' for duty as a pilot, Britt served in the 308th Signal Corps, supplying communications. His tour of duty started in Tampa, Florida and took him around the world, with duty in Australia, Bombay, Corsica, and Italy. He publishes the newsletter for the 308th Signal Corps veterans, who still get together every year in Branson, Missouri. Copyright
©
2004 |
       Ads have a Patent Pending. Click Here for More Information  |
Wayne County men flew to Kitty Hawk