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Remembering the Wright Brothers

To see more photos of the Wright Brothers National Memorial, visit the location page.

109 years ago today, two bicycle mechanic brothers from Ohio, Wilbur and Orville Wright, piloted the first sustained airplane flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Wind, sand and privacy brought the Wrights to Kitty Hawk’s Kill Devil Hills in 1900 and the brothers spent three years conducting experiments there. Visitors to the hills today can walk along the routes of the four flights that took place on December 17, 1903, and also visit the 60-foot (18 meter) granite monument that was dedicated in their honor in 1932. Inscribed on the memorial tower is the phrase “In commemoration of the conquest of the air by the brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright conceived by genius achieved by dauntless resolution and unconquerable faith,” and atop the tower is a marine beacon, similar to one found in a lighthouse.

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Refueling with @patch_wick

Want to see more photos? Be sure to follow @patch_wick’s account!

Aerial refueling is a mind-boggling task, but Instagrammer and U.S. Air Force Reservist @patch_wick’s photos share what it’s like first-hand. Patrick Stout captures his photos from the rear of KC-135 planes. There’s a window that looks straight down at the earth, and helps boom operators like Patrick see the aircraft that they’re refueling.

Boom operators are in control of the refueling pump or “boom.” They lie on their stomach throughout the entire process, moving the boom around, latching it onto the aircraft, and finally pumping the fuel. @Patch_wick explains: “It’s an amazing process because both aircraft have to fly very steady. As you can see in some of my pictures, both aircraft are very close to each other. The boom operator also has to pay attention because he’ll have to unhook the boom quickly if the other Aircraft pulls down or his aircraft pulls up.”

In the process, @patch_wick also gets to photograph some gorgeous views: “After the first time I watched a refueling, I continued to lay and watch the passing landscape. I always feel like I’m watching a high-definition version of Google Earth… [With my photos], I try to find cool and unique patterns. And I snap hundreds of pictures. With the in-flight refueling, I try to take as many angles as I can.”