First Flight Society Announces 2023 Class of Honorary Members

KITTY HAWK, N.C. – November 19, 2023 – The First Flight Society announces two new Honorary Lifetime Members: Record holder Mack Rutherford, and pilot Erik Lindbergh.

Mack Rutherford became the youngest person to fly solo around the world and the youngest person to fly a microlight aircraft solo around the globe. Now 18, Mack started his 5-month journey at age 17. Mack landed in Sofia, Bulgaria on August 24, 2022, completing a trip that took him across 52 countries. Mack was born to British parents but has grown up in Belgium. He joins his older sister Zara Rutherford as a First Flight Society Honorary Lifetime member.

Erik Lindbergh is a pilot, adventurer, artist and entrepreneur. He is the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of VerdeGo Aero which provides Powertrain Systems and Engineering Services to the electric aircraft industry. Erik is the Co-Host of The Lindberghs podcast and serves as Chairman of the Board of the Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation. He is also on the board of trustees of the XPRIZE Foundation. His grandfather, Charles Lindbergh was inducted into the Paul E Garber First Flight Shrine in 1967.

“The First Flight Society is proud to honor both Mack Rutherford and Erik Lindbergh with lifetime honorary memberships. They are both great individuals who are currently influencing the field of aviation,” said Mike Fonseca, president of the First Flight Society.

Previous FFS Honorary Members include General Charles McGee, Colonel Gail Halvorsen, Patty Wagstaff, Rob Holland, Sean D Tucker, Zara Rutherford and Nicole Malachowski.

The Honorary Member program launched in 2020 to enhance the public visibility of luminaries like these who have achieved national recognition in aviation. First Flight Society will recognize them in Society Media during their lifetime. In turn, FFS offers them the chance to attend the December 17th Luncheon in Kitty Hawk, NC and be honored along with that year’s Honoree.

This year’s honorees are Walter and Olive Ann Beech, founders of Beechcraft. They will be inducted into the Paul E. Garber First Flight Shrine at Wright Brothers National Memorial on December 17, 2023.

More information about the event can be found at https://www.wrightbrothersday.org/.

More information about the First Flight Society can be found at https://www.firstflight.org/

This Wright Brothers Day Is The 120th Anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ First Flight

Wright Brothers Day: December 17, 2023 – 120th Anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ First Powered Flight

First Flight Society 12-17-22

This year’s event will honor Walter and Olive Ann Beech, American aviators and early aviation entrepreneurs who co-founded the Beech Aircraft Company—now called Beechcraft—in 1932.  The festivities will feature speakers from the National Park Service as well as a flyover, among other activities. For more information about Wright Brothers Day 2023, please click the button below.

120th Anniversary

Wright Brothers Day Luncheon

FFS Annual Luncheon Celebrating The Wright Brothers Legacy and Honoring Walter and Olive Ann Beech 2023 Paul E Garber Shrine Inductee. We will also have speakers and a delicious buffet lunch December 17th, 2023 at 12:00 noon at the Hilton Garden Inn Kitty Hawk.
Buy Luncheon Tickets

Call For Nominations

Call for Nominations for the 2024 Paul E Garber First Flight Shrine.

Download Nomination Form

Honorees for the Paul E. Garber First Flight Shrine are selected annually by a National Advisory Committee from a list of nominees submitted to the First Flight Society and public that is passed to the Committee for consideration.  The committee accepts a letter of nomination accompanied by supporting documentation. 

The nominee(s) may but does not have to be a “first” but rather “…a person, living or dead, who since December 17, 1903, either personally or with the assistance of others, have made such outstanding accomplishments in support of flight operations that they are generally recognized nationally and internationally for their achievements and contributions to aerospace activities.” 

Enclosed is the Nomination Form for the Paul E. Garber First Flight Shrine, which should be mailed with any supporting documents to:  First Flight Society, Post Office Box 1903, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949.   Nominations may also be emailed to: [email protected].

Nominations are due May 31st. Questions can be addressed to the NAC Chair, Charlie Davidson at [email protected]

Please help us save postage expense by providing an email address we can use to communicate important and membership information to you.

Download Nomination Form

Win a Stallion 51 WWII Flight Experience!

Enter today for your chance to experience a WWII Flight Experience in both a T-6 Texan trainer and P-51 Mustang Fighter!

This is your chance to experience flight in both the trainer and operational aircraft as some of our First Flight Society Honorees such as the “Red Tail” Tuskegee Airmen General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., USAF and Brig. Gen. Charles McGee, USAF, did as well as such other famous First Flight Society Honorees as Col. Jacqueline Cochran, USAF (Former WASP), Maj. Gen. Robert White, USAF, and Brig. Gen. Charles Yeager, USAF! The Stallion 51 Corporation offers a rare and exhilarating hands-on flight experience in both the T-6 Texan and P-51 Mustang. The winner can schedule the experience up to 12 months after winning and the prize award includes $800 towards your expenses to travel to the Orlando, Florida area for the experience.

Enter Sweepstakes

Introducing the 2023 First Flight Society Board of Directors

The First Flight Society announces its Board of Directors for 2023. Most of the directors are from North Carolina.

The newly elected Executive Committee consists of:

President-Mike Fonseca

Vice President-Paul Wright Jameson

Finance Committee Chair- H Taylor Sugg

Marketing/Membership Committee Chair-William “Bill” Douglas

Education Committee Chair-Judith Fearing

Events Committee Chair-Tony Bruno

The rest of the 2023 board consists of:

Peter Bruemmer, Paul Carr, Sara Lou Copeland, Danny Couch, M. Roy Daniels, III, Dr Charles Davidson, Orestes Gooden, Todd Huvard, Penny Leary Smith, William Nelson, Doug Seay, Mike Smith, K Lynn Tadlock and Peregrine White. Lynn Tadlock is new to the board this year.

The FFS plans an annual celebration at the Wright Brothers National Memorial on Wright Brothers Day, December 17th to memorialize the work of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, NC. First Flight Society also celebrates Wilbur Wright Day on April 16th and National Aviation Day on August 19th which is also Orville Wright’s birthday.

Without the First Flight Society there would not be a Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. The Kill Devil Hills Memorial Association, later named First Flight Society, began as a group of local businessmen who successfully petitioned the US Congress to fund and build a monument to the Wright Brothers’ 1903 achievement. The FFS celebrates its 96th year in 2023.

First Flight Society has the Vision that One day people everywhere will be inspired by the dauntless resolution and tireless work of the Wright Brothers. Their Mission is that We tell the story of the Wright Brothers through community events, education, and the commemoration of the world’s very first powered flight, in Kitty Hawk, NC

First Flight Society Announces 2022 Class of Honorary Members

Zara Rutherford
Zara Rutherford
Nicole Malachowski
Nicole Malachowski
Jerry Yagen
Jerry Yagen

KITTY HAWK, N.C. – Nov. 19, 2022 – The First Flight Society announces 4 new Honorary Members for 2022: Record holder Zara Rutherford, military pilot Nicole Malachowski, airplane collector Jerry Yagen and artist Gregory Kavalec.


Zara Rutherford became the youngest female pilot to fly solo around the world and the first person to circumnavigate the earth in a microlight aircraft. She was just 19 years old when she began a 5-month
journey that started in Kortrijk, Belgium, in August 2021, and ended back there in January 2022.


Nicole Malachowski was the first female pilot selected to fly as part of the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron, better known as the Thunderbirds. She is a retired United States Air Force Colonel. Nicole
became a speaker and advocate on behalf of patients with tick-borne illnesses.


Gerald “Jerry” Yagen is the founder of the Military Aviation Museum in Pungo, Virginia and founder of Centura College and the Aviation Institute of Maintenance schools. He has played a major role in keeping
aviation history alive in the US.


Gregory Kavalec is an artist who is responsible for many of the paintings In the First Flight Society’s Paul E Garber Shrine. His latest painting will be unveiled on December 17th at Wright Brothers National
Memorial.


The Honorary Member program launched in 2020 to enhance the public visibility of luminaries like these who have achieved national recognition in aviation. First Flight Society will recognize them in Society
Media during their lifetime. In turn, FFS offers them the chance to attend the December 17th Luncheon in Kitty Hawk, NC and be honored along with that year’s Honoree. Previous FFS Honorary Members include
General Charles McGee, Colonel Gail Halvorsen, Patty Wagstaff, Rob Holland and Sean D Tucker.


This year’s honoree is General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., the first black General in the United States Air Force.Davis was commander of the famed Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. He will be inducted into the Paul
E. Garber First Flight Shrine at Wright Brothers National Memorial on December 17, 2022.


More information about FFS Honorary Members can be found at www.firstflight.org.


More information about the Wright Brothers Day event can be found at www.wrightbrothersday.org.

Make Plans to Celebrate Wright Brothers Day 2022!

Save the date! December 17th, 2022 is the 119th anniversary of powered flight. The First Flight Society will be honoring Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. as the 2022 Paul E Garber Shrine inductee. The Shrine is located in the Museum and Visitors Center at the Wright Brothers National Memorial, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, USA.

This honor is selected annually by a high-level panel appointed by the First Flight Society, from among numerous nominations submitted from around the world as well as compiled lists of qualified candidates. The induction ceremony will be held on Wright Brothers Day, December 17, 2022, with a celebration luncheon also held that day in Kitty Hawk. A portrait of General Davis will be unveiled and presented at the ceremony on December 17th.

The FFS Annual Luncheon will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn OBX/Kitty Hawk at 12:00 noon on the 17th. The luncheon will consist of a sit down meal and speakers from the USAF and the Davis family. The luncheon is open to everyone and tickets are available in the Wright Brothers Day Store. FFS will recognize our 2022, 2021 and 2020 Classes of Honorary Members. The Class of 2022 is Zara Rutherford, Nicole Malachowski, Jerry Yagen and Gregory Kavalec. The Class of 2021 is Mark Baker, Rob Holland, and Tom Crouch. The Class of 2020 is Charles McGee, Gail Halvorsen, Patty Wagstaff, Sean Tucker and Dick Rutan. The 2022 Class of Honorary members was announced on November 19th, 2022.

The First Flight Society is proud and honored to have all of these luminaries as new Honorary Members.

Flash Sweepstakes Prize for the P-51 Ride

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Enter for Your Chance to Win a ride in a P-51 Mustang + this Wooden Display Model!
Win this P-51D Mustang “Big Beautiful Doll” Model of the aircraft flown by Colonel John D Landers, Commanding Officer of the 78th Fighter Group, 8th USAAF between February and June 1945. (Scale: 1/24, Wingspan 15 inches)
RETAIL VALUE $170
Ride Award is on! Enter by Oct 31 with Promo Code WINME for 25% Bonus and a chance to win a Sporty’s P-51 Model!

Enter today for your chance to fly in a WWII P-51 Fighter!

This is your chance to fly in the same type of aircraft as some of our First Flight Society Honorees such as Brig. Gen. Charles Yeager, USAF, the “Red Tail” Tuskegee airmen, including Gen. Benjamin Davis, USAF (the 2022 Honoree), and Brig. Gen. Charles McGee, USAF, as well as such other famous National Shrine Honorees as Col. Jacqueline Cochran, USAF (Former WASP), and Maj. Gen. Robert White, USAF. The First Flight Society is offering an exhilarating P-51 flight experienc in “Red Nose” operated by the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Airbase Georgia. The winner can schedule the experience up to 12 months after winning and the prize award includes $700 towards your expenses to travel to Peachtree City, GA for the experience. 
Click Here for More Information
Special Offer for members and friends of the First Flight Society! Use the promo code WINME for a chance to win the P-51 model and get  25% more tickets!
CAF Airbase Georgia’s P-51 Mustang “Red Nose”,  the aircraft you will fly in if you win the sweepstakes!
FLASH Contest! Enter to win your chance to Fly in a P-51 by October 31st and you will get a chance to win this P-51 Mustang model!

Use the promo code WINME to get 25% more free entries!
Entry amounts range from $25 for 10 tickets to $2000 for 2600 tickets!
Enter Now With Promo Code: WINME
All proceeds from this sweepstakes support the nonprofit First Flight Society dedicated to preserving the history of the Wright Brothers. Your support ensures that the society can continue to share this history with you and the public. Thank you! 
Promo code can not be applied to previous donations. 
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Celebrate National Aviation Day with First Flight Society on August 19, 2022

NAD 2021

The First Flight Society announced the 4th annual National Aviation Day at Dare County Regional Airport on August 19th, 2022. The event runs from 10AM-3PM and features Airplane Displays, Exhibitors, and Food Trucks. 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. NAD is a free event aimed at all ages.

NAD is also Orville Wright’s birthday. Former president Franklin D. Roosevelt was the creator of National Aviation Day, deciding for the first time in 1939 that the nation should celebrate the growth and advancements being made in aviation.

Our keynote speaker will be historian Larry Tise. His presentation is titled “The Elusive Orville Wright from Kitty Hawk and Beyond.“

Another highlight will be Warbird rides. To combine the First Flight Society observation of National Aviation Day and the mission of the Commemorative Air Force, the Capital Wing will bring the queen of its fleet, a TBM-3E Avenger named “Doris Mae” on August 19th and 20th and provide warbird rides to the public. Advance purchases of rides in the TBM can be made online at: www.capitalwingwarbirdrides.org.

Confirmed exhibitors include Kitty Hawk Kites, Civil Air Patrol, Military Aviation Museum, Elizabeth City State University, Dare County Radio Control Flyers, AOPA, Dare County and Tubbs Hot Dogs.

Dare County Regional airport (MQI) is located at 410 Airport Road, Manteo, NC 27954.

Additional information can be found at www.nationalaviationday.org.

The Kill Devil Hills Memorial Association, later named First Flight Society, began as a group of local businessmen who successfully petitioned the US Congress to fund and build a monument to the Wright Brothers’ 1903 achievement.

The FFS plans an annual celebration at the Wright Brothers National Memorial on December 17th to memorialize the accomplishments of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, NC.