KITTY HAWK, N.C. — The First Flight Society will hold its annual celebration of National Aviation Day on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026.
Activities planned for the 87th anniversary of National Aviation Day will take place at Dare County Regional Airport (KMQI) in Manteo, North Carolina. Admission and parking are free at the airport. The event will run from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
The mission of the celebration is to provide a fun and educational experience promoting, honoring, and celebrating the accomplishments of the Wright Brothers and helping educate the world about aviation, according to society officials.
The day’s activities will include airplane displays, speakers, exhibitors, and food trucks.
A highlight of the celebration will be fly-overs by the Bullseye Flight Team.
Birthday cake and a scavenger hunt are planned as additional fun for the kids, according to organizers.
The event will also act as a fly-in. Pilots are encouraged to fly into KMQI and show off their planes. The first 30 pilots to fly in will receive a $100 fuel voucher. All pilots will receive a Recognition Certificate.
Organizers are also asking those attending to participate in a food drive for people in need on the Outer Banks.
National Aviation Day is celebrated on Orville and Katharine Wright’s birthdays. President Franklin D. Roosevelt created National Aviation Day, deciding for the first time in 1939 that the nation should celebrate the growth and advancements being made in aviation. Orville Wright, born in 1871, was still alive when the proclamation was issued.
For more information: NationalAviationDay.org
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