NAGS HEAD, OUTER BANKS, NORTH CAROLINA

Landmarks : No. 16

Date Registered: Oct 21 2011

The steady winds and gently sloping dunes of soft sand on North Carolina's Outer Banks have been attracting soaring pilots since the early 20th century. The Wright brothers flew many pioneering glider flights at Kitty Hawk between 1900 and 1903 with Orville Wright returning to set a 9 minute 45 second soaring record there in 1911. The area again achieved soaring fame when Francis Rogallo and others introduced hang gliding in the 1970s. These same coastal winds and dunes continue to bring pilots from around the world to soar Jockey's Ridge today. 

Sport(s) of Soaring

A Landmark to the Sport(s) of Soaring

Jockey’s Ridge

The live dunes of Jockey’s Ridge have invited motorless flight for more than a century

Landmark Plaque Unveiled

The Landmark plaque is unveiled. LH>RH: Rich Hass (President of United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association), Ed Funk (President of the National Soaring Museum), Debo Cox (Superintendent of Jockey’s Ridge State Park) and John Harris (President of the Rogallo Foundation).

Soaring No.16 Plaque

Landmark of Soaring No.16 plaque, mounted on the outside wall of the Hang Gliding School at Jockey’s Ridge State Park.

DG 808B

While hang gliders were flying from the dunes, Dr. Woodward Cannon soared his self-launched motorglider DG 808B (with and without the engine employed) gracefully high above the visitors

. . . and flashing by in perfect formation high above everyone else. . .

Academy of Model Aeronautics

Members of the Academy of Model Aeronautics enticed youngsters to become interested in building and flying models.

Pulse 11m

Bruce Weaver flew the souvenir glider mail in his Pacific Airwave "Pulse 11m”. Nags Head Postmaster Bill Downings accepted the mailbag while Simine Short looks on.

Kick-Off

Commemorative postmark. The Landmark Dedication was the “Kick-Off” for the SOARING100 celebration at the Outer Banks, NC.