Elijah Cummings: “This bill will establish a commission to commemorate the centennial of powered flight, and the achievements of the…”

“This bill will establish a commission to commemorate the centennial of powered flight, and the achievements of the Wright Brothers. Wilbur and Orville Wright manned the first successful controlled and sustained powered flight. The Wright Brothers, originally bicycle store owners from Dayton, Ohio, moved to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina for the hills, the strong and steady winds, and soft sandy ground, essential ingredients for successful flight. They went back to Dayton and built a 6-foot wind tunnel to conduct experiments with over 200 different wing models. They developed the first reliable tables on the effects of air pressure on curved surfaces, the principles that we use today and that we see on every airplane. In 1903 the Wright Brothers completed the construction of a larger plane powered by their own lightweight gas-powered engine, and returned to Kitty Hawk. On December 17th, 1903, four men and a boy witnessed the first flight, a flight which dramatically changed the course of transportation, commerce, communication, and warfare throughout the world. I wholeheartedly support this legislation.”