Why North Carolina Isn't First In Flight

Who is First in Flight?!? It's not North Carolina, but it's not Ohio either.

Every time I see a North Carolina (NC) license plate that says “First in Flight” I jokingly call the occupants of the vehicle a liar, and point it out to my wife. She always rolls her eyes and refuses to dignify my jest with a response. The truth is, no state can claim to be first in heavier than air flight; that belongs to the Wright brothers. No state government made any contributions to the first flight in any substantial way. But if any state did have a claim, it should be Ohio.

Being an Ohioan, and from Dayton (where the Wright brothers had their shop), I enjoy debating anyone who cares to on the topic. NC’s claim to fame is rooted in the fact that the first flight took place in Kitty Hawk, NC. I always like to ask NC defenders what country is first in putting men on the moon. I receive a surprisingly, and somewhat depressingly, number of blank stares.

The answer of course is the United States of America. The USA is the only nation that has put men on the moon. Twelve men have stepped foot on the moon between 1969 and 1972. When I tell any NC defender this, they readily agree that the USA is first in lunar landings.

At this point in a debate, I tell them their logic is flawed. By North Carolinian logic, the moon must be first in lunar landings. That’s where American astronauts walked. It’s of course ridiculous. The astronauts who have walked on the moon were all American. The space craft they rode to and from the moon were built in the USA. The missions were all funded by the American taxpayers. The only thing the moon did to contribute to lunar landings was to exist. That’s it. And no one thinks to give the moon any credit. That would be incredulous. Anyone who did would likely be laughed at. The USA gets all the credit for being the first in lunar landings.

Similarly, the first aircraft to have a successful, heavier than air, flight, was conceived, designed, invented, built, and even tested (in a wind tunnel) in Ohio, by Ohioans. When the brothers were ready to move on with their experiment with an actual flight, they disassembled their invention, boxed it up, and drove it down to NC for the world’s first ever successful flight. When they were done, they drove back home to Ohio.

As I stated above, the Wright brothers deserve all the credit. And no one debates that they don’t deserve credit. But if any state were to have a claim to be first in flight, it’s really Ohio. The only thing North Carolina contributed to the first flight, was the same contribution the moon made to the first lunar landing, they existed.

Both Ohio and NC are proud of their ties to aviation history. North Carolina license plates still boast that they were “First in Flight.” And they remain a very popular license plate. The Ohio license plate reads “Birthplace of Aviation” which is a fair retort. It is arguable that Ohio has a deeper tie to aviation history, though.

Neither side is likely to concede to the other. It is fun to get to claim to be first. Both states have laid claim long enough that there’s little chance either would be willing to back down.

If there is one thing that both states can agree on though, it’s that Connecticut is definitely not first in flight!

Read about Connecticut’s claim here: https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/was-connecticut-first-in-flight/2024574/