Orville, Wilbur & Me
Magic at Kitty Hawk
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
An engaging tale about the invention of the airplane, written in language all ages understand.
Joshua Morgan, 15-years old, met the Wright brothers when they came to Kitty Hawk village, North Carolina to experiment with kites and gliders.
His adventure first began in Kitty Hawk bay, when he greeted Wilbur Wright in September, 1900. Already inspired by watching seagulls flying in the blue skies above him, he was enlisted by the Wright brothers to help them to prove that man could fly like birds, if he had the right power plant.
“Looking up,
he saw a flock of seagulls flying about
in the cloudless sky, diving and
dipping into the waves
to snatch their dinner from the water.
As he watched,
he thought, “I wish I had wings, then
I could race
around the sky like they do. The whole
wide sky would
be my world.”
The adventure was fulfilled when on December 17, 1903 their plane actually flew. After years of frustrating failures and delays, the craft moved down the rail and rose into the air. As it became evident that Orville could maintain control of the craft, Josh went racing across the sand dunes, waving his arms and shouting. “We’ve done it! We’re flying!
A shout went up. Onlookers clapped, jumped up and down with excitement and loudly cheered.
Whether he was holding onto a wing or running back and forth through the sand, Joshua never tired of this adventure. He felt a thrill each time he watched the glider go even farther, lifted by the wind and controlled by the pilot.
At the dedication of the Wright Brothers Memorial in 1932, Joshua said, “Flying sets you free. The airplane represents freedom, joy and delight. Just watch the birds, you’ll understand.”
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About the Book
Joshua Morgan is the first to greet Wilbur Wright as he arrives in Kitty Hawk Bay September 1900.
When Wilbur and Orville Wright arrive in Kitty Hawk, Joshua is captivated by their experiments. Whether he is running alongside the glider steadying a wing or steering the craft with ropes, he is part of the crew that makes the first successful powered flight on December 17, 1903.
The aircraft held together with pieces of wood, fabric and bicycle parts, sits on the track designed to launch the flight. Powered by a clattering homemade engine, it lifts from the wind-swept plain and flies 852 feet into the pages of history. At this moment, eighteen-year-old Joshua knows what his destiny is to be.
In 1908, eight years after he meets the strangers from Dayton, Ohio, the U. S. Army orders its first military aircraft. Twenty-three year old Joshua returns to Kitty Hawk with the Wright brothers to conduct the final tests.
The return to Kitty Hawk brings Joshua full circle. The realization that who he is now, and the man he will become, is rooted here in this village. Attributes of integrity become his moral force
Joshua, a fictional character whose life was changed by this event, participated in the greatest discovery of the 20th century: powered flight; a discovery that changed the face of the globe.
About the Author
Phyllis, native of Ft. Worth, Texas, now living in Georgetown, Texas, is a freelance writer, specializing in aviation and aviation history. Her articles appear in Woman Pilot magazine, General Aviation News and FLYER newspaper, Vintage Airplane, Flight Journal, Women in Aviation, International and Aviation Buyer’s Digest, as well as local and regional periodicals. Married to Brian Moses, retired corporate pilot, she maintains several affiliations with aviation-related organizations, which include the Texas Chapter Antique Airplane Association; Frontiers of Flight museum; The Jimmy Doolittle Squadron, Special Aviation History Collection, University of Texas at Dallas; Experimental Aircraft Association and the Sun City Aviation Club. They own a Cessna 172 and a Piper Vagabond. She has one son, two grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Phyllis’ interests extend to art and music, traveling, and writing. The world of aviation has always fascinated Phyllis. She spends much of her time studying its history from the myths and legends up to the modern space age. She finds the most interesting part of this research the early pioneers who had the visions and dreams. Their persistence led the way to modern technology that made aviation what it is today. Contact the author at