Introduction

One of North Carolina's major claims to fame - "First in Flight" - was due largely to the wind conditions on the Outer Banks, and the dedicated observers who recorded the wind speeds. In this case, the story rests on the state as a windy, not a calm, location.

When Orville and Wilbur Wright were looking for a site for their first field experiments in 1900 they needed a place with winds regularly over 15 m.p.h. to provide enough lift for their aircraft's wings, some gentle hills to allow glider launching, a sandy or similar surface to ensure soft landings, and a remote location to ensure that they could concentrate on their work without the distraction of public or media attention.

To identify a location they wrote:

Nov 27 1899: Wilbur Wright to Instrument Division, US Weather Bureau:

Request for wind velocities, Chicago or vicinity for August through October. If possible the information should include average and maximum velocity each day. In addition a chart of fluctuations in velocities for a short period, say half an hour, would be helpful.

Dec 4, 1899: Willis Moore (Director, U.S. Weather Bureau) to Wilbur Wright:

Sent copies of the Monthly Weather Review for August and September 1899, promised to forward Oct and Nov issues as soon as available. He marked in the Sept issue the Table showing average wind velocities from approximately 150 stations nationwide (These data are used for Table 4.2.2 below). This issue also contained a review of kite experiments in France and the US - although most of the report concerned temperature changes with height rather than a direct concern with wind. He also included a manuscript copy of the hourly velocities for Chicago for August 1899.

Dec 9, 1899: Wilbur to Moore:

Thanks for material, especially the Chicago mss

May 13, 1900: Wilbur to Octave Chanute (doyen of flight experimentalists):

Asks where can get dependable winds of 15 mph without rain or too inclement weather, suspecting they are rare. A sandy area is needed.

May 17, 1900: Chanute to Wilbur

Suggests area near San Diego CA or St. James City (Pine Island) FL as having "steady sea breeze but no sand hills". So "perhaps even better locations can be found on the Atlantic coasts of South Carolina or Georgia"

June 1, 1900: Wilbur to Chanute

Thanks. It is now the busy season in the bicycle world, and "just now I am content with trying to settle upon a general plan of operations, and find a suitable location."

On August 3, 1900 Wilbur wrote to the Weather Bureau Office at Kitty Hawk asking about conditions. A quick reply from the sole employee, Joseph J. Dosher said they had a beach a mile wide, without trees or other obstructions. Winds in September and October blew from the north or northeast. Boarding was available in the village, but they would have to bring tents for lodging. Dosher also passed the letter to William J. Tate, postmaster, notary and Currituck County Commissioner. He sent a more detailed description of the area, and offered a warm welcome.

Bill Tate's letter, combined with Dosher's information, did the trick. Wilbur first arrived September 1900 - by skiff from Elizabeth City. Later in the month Orville joined him and they tested their glider over the next few weeks. July 1901 they both returned (delayed at Elizabeth City while winds of 93 mph were recorded on the Banks) - along with mosquitoes. Not very fruitful time, and they left at end of August. Late August 1902 returned, started experiments in September which lasted until late October. These were all gliders in various form. A powered machine was developed for 1903.

In 1903 the brothers arrived at Kitty Hawk on Sept 26. They immediately did some tests with the 1902 glider, and then worked on establishing adequate living quarters. Many days of bad weather delayed progress, late October being very cold, but by Nov 5 a powered machine was ready for ground testing. The tests indicated that the propeller shafts needed reworking. After the necessary trip back to Dayton, late November saw them working on refinements to the engine to get the needed thrust. A propeller blade cracked, which Orville fixed back in Dayton - where the weather was mild and windy for flying. Orville was back on December 11th, and the machine was assembled on the 12th The wind picked up on 14th and the local life-saving crew were signaled that help was needed launching the craft. It went down the sloping track of Kill Devil Hill and stalled. Repairs, and poor weather, delayed next trial until December 17. The day was frigid (common by now) and windy (24 mph). Four flights, the last of 852 feet in 59 seconds. and one famous photograph, were made, Then a wind gust lifted one wing, the craft turned over and was destroyed.

From our present perspective the wind data available to the Wright brothers was woefully sparse, They only had access to data for a single year and a few places. Further, the data were often misleading. Observations were often taken from an anemometer on top of the Weather Bureau building. One reason that Chicago was the 'windy city' was that observations were taken from a building some 274 feet above the ground surface. That wind speed varies with height was known at the end of last century but observational standards for wind had not yet been established. A second factor, particularly important for coastal conditions, was the placement of the instrument relative to the shore. Most instruments in the major port cities, although on relatively low rooftops, were a couple of miles inland on the lower courses of the rivers. The extra roughness of the land compared to the ocean slows the wind. Even Hatteras is well behind a line of dunes and woodland. Kitty Hawk was more or less open to the water in virtually all directions. Consequently, although Kitty Hawk had high wind speeds, it is not certain that they were the highest in the area - although they filled the needs of the Wright brothers.

Even today we are not sure of the true wind speeds along much of our coastline. Observations tend to be made at airfields - civilian and military - which are usually away from the shore to avoid the strongest winds. Surface roughness - and thus the amount the wind slows - varies from field to field, and with wind direction. Nevertheless a recent estimate (Fig 4.2.12) suggests that the Kitty Hawk area has the highest mean wind speeds in the region. Once again, the Wright brothers are vindicated.

Climate Data

September 1899 Monthly Weather Review average wind movement each hour [PDF]

Links of Interest

• First Flight of Centennial
• Centennial of Flight
• National Park Service - Wright Brothers
• Town of Kitty Hawk
• State Climate Office of North Carolina