Galin Hernandez of The Puerto Rico Flyers sent in these photos, taken by his wife, Millie Santiago, as they “approached to land at First Flight Airport (KFFA) in Kill Devil Hills, N.C., in our experimental KIS4 a few days ago.”
Pictures of the day: Visiting First Flight Airport
It’s 47nm from KFFA to Billy Mitchell Field on Cape Hatteras. Probably the only two airports with no services every pilot should try to visit. The trees at First Flight can cause noticeable turbulence in crosswinds.
EVERY pilot MUST have this in his/her logbook. It’s aviation’s holy ground!
In fact several years ago the day I landed at KFFA, back taxied for takeoff and departed to return to Dare County Regional (KMQI) we drove back to the Wright Brothers National Memorial and I managed to scoop some sand/dirt (exposed from maintenance work) near the rail used by Orville and Wilbur to launch their Flyer that Dec 17 in 1903. I keep a plastic test tube full of that Kill Devil Hills sand in my flightbag every time I fly as a tribute and good luck charm. I don’t recommend doing that, though – the park rangers may take a dim view of folks digging holes on Federal land…
The last picture is at the 1940’s museum at Hobby airport (KHOU), Houston TX not at First Flight Airport (KFFA).