Research Visit: Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

If you haven't figured out yet, I'm a pretty big Wright Brothers fan.  It probably all started for me because I grew up on Air Force bases around the world. 

 I have many early memories of lying on my back for hours watching planes fly overhead.  I used to be able to name just about any military aircraft simply from its silhouette.  When our family decided to rent a house for a week on the barrier islands in NC it was like a dream come true for me.  We visited Kitty Hawk, the site of the first flight.  Standing on those dunes, you could imagine the brothers lining up against that strong, steady wind and taking off into history.

Having lived on Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio as a child, I guess I somehow always felt like they were a part of my family; or I was a part of theirs.

There are multiple monuments on the dune.  The first is the several stories tall monolith you see above.  My favorite however, is the re-creation of the Wright Flyer.

It's an exact replica of the moment where Orville lifted off.  What I liked most about it though was that you were encouraged to climb on and sit on the wing with Orville. 

You can see in the photo that both of my kids, who were a lot younger then, are sitting astride Orville and I.

  

Here's the man who captured that first flight.

This steel rail marks the track that the Wright's used to achieve the necessary speed for lift off.  The large rock on the right shows the point of lift off.  You can see the same rail in the black and white photograph above.

The spot where Orville touched down after the very first controlled flight.

The photo on the left is of Orville in 1928 when the monument was dedicated and the large monolith's cornerstone was placed.  The last piece of the of my Wright Brothers trifecta was to hang glide on the same dunes that they first learned to fly.  Kitty Hawk Kites taught me the basics of hang gliding. 

 

I can't say I was good at it, but I did only get three glides.

  My best glide was the one above.  Thankfully, the instructor never let go of the black tether.  I got a little bit of air on my final flight.  I hope to get another chance to try this too!

Research Visit: Chicago Fire Academy

On January 2, 2014, I went on a research visit to The Chicago Fire Academy.

  When I arrived, I was greeted by Fireman Anthony Downing.  He took me on a tour of the museum that is located in the Fire Academy. 

 It walked us through the development of the department from volunteer through the Great Chicago Fire and beyond.  I was there for some background on the events on and around the fire of 1871.  One of my favorite elements of the museum was a replica of a firehouse from around the 1880's.  It was complete with horse stable and living quarters above.  

 I could imagine this device being critical to getting crews into the right place amidst the crackle of a house fire. 

I learned that early on, most families had these buckets and would bring them to help fire fighters fill boiler.

A typical fighting force.  Steam boiler in the back with the 'crew' in the front in a separate wagon.

 The first African-American fire house in Chicago was created in 1872.





I had no idea when I called ahead to arrange my visit that I would have Anthony as my tour guide.  Anthony took me through the entire academy.  I viewed the equipment, facilities and classrooms.  It wasn't until we sat down at his desk and started talking about writing.  It turns out that Anthony is also a writer.  We talked about how he uses writing to help make sense of some of the very scary and sad things he sees in his work.  Very recently, Anthony lost one of his best friends in a fire.  

 In the Hall of Honor, sit the equipment of fallen fire fighters.  The most recent was Corey Ankum.  Anthony shared the story of the day he was lost.  Then, he pulled out his phone and shared with me the poignant and powerful words he wrote to make sense of the feelings and overwhelming emotions he was experiencing.  Anthony told me that he has been writing since he entered the academy; I was amazed that he did all of his writing on his phone.

The badge and plaque for firefighter Ankum.  








After spending the better portion of an afternoon with Anthony, I had even more respect for the men and women who put their lives on the line to fight fires.  Anthony and his co-workers were thrilled to hear that I was writing about the department.  They wished me luck and asked to be kept in the loop as my projects developed.  They connected me with the department historian and offered ongoing insight and support.  I hope sometime soon I'll be able to share a published project with them!

The bronze flame in front of the Chicago Fire Academy sits in the exact spot where the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 began.

Research Visit: Wright Patterson Air Force Base

 If you are researching the Wright Brothers, you are eventually going to end up in Dayton, Ohio. Thankfully for me, I was driving back from my recent visit to the archives in Washington, D.C.  My destination today was Wright Patterson Air Force Base.

Many years ago, when I joined the United States Army, my dream was to be a pilot.  That dream was dashed quite early when I was told that I was color blind.  I was defiant.  I could see colors just fine, but after failing the test several times, it was officially put in my record. My dream of flying, at least in the Army, were done.

So, it was pretty interesting when, earlier this year, I read a post on Facebook by Wright Patterson Air Force Base.  They were looking for test subjects who were color blind.  Since I was spending this spring break researching, I decided to become a test subject. I spent the better part of a day completing test after test that analyzed my vision.  It was fascinating!  I learned that I am indeed slightly color blind, but only in one eye.  I was such a unique test subject that they asked if I would be willing to complete even more extensive testing.  Of course, I was intrigued and said yes. 

By the end of the day, I had a full work up and had several doctors explain to me how unique my eyes were.  My brain was compensating when both eyes were used, but the problem was when I was only allowed to use one eye.  I asked if knowing what they know about my eyes now if I would have been flagged for flight school and sadly, they said I would have.  Not only was I color blind, but I was also losing my depth perception and needed a prescription for reading.  The whole experience was fantastic and I was honored at the end of the testing when the staff handed me this coin: 

They said that the things they learned from my eyes would help them analyze and understand some of the minute deficiencies that may or may not disqualify future aviators. 

On my way out, they took me into a huge simulator that they were developing with NASA.  It had a 360 degree video array that reacted with the cockpit that was located in the middle of the array.  I asked if I could take a 'ride,' but sadly, I was not allowed to.  Just sitting in the cockpit was pretty exciting for me though!  I have some pretty solid ties to Wright Patterson Air Force Base. 

As a child, I lived on the base when my father served in the Air Force.  I didn't recognize anything!  This model of one of the Wright Brothers airplanes was at the gate. 

 

It was life size and was incredibly detailed.  Despite the constant rain, I was able to make a few images that captured its beauty.

Curious if you are color blind?  Check this site out.  It's called EnChroma and they make sunglasses that 'correct' color blindness.  It actually works!  Plus their site has a fun color blind test you can take online.