Thursday, August 19, 2010 — Early this morning, a paper airplane hit my desk. I could see there was writing across it and, when I took a closer look, I saw that it read: "Happy National Aviation Day. Pass it on!" I thought front-page news was a great opportunity to "pass it on" in a big way!

National Aviation Day is always celebrated on August 19th--to commemorate Orville Wright's birthday, because Orville invented and built the first successful airplane in 1903. And, as you might have figured out, this holiday is meant to recognize and remember the birth of flight!

People can celebrate National Aviation Day in a variety of ways. Besides making paper airplanes (which you can download here), you can draw images of what you might see out of the window of a real airplane (like clouds, or the way a town can look like a maze from thousands of feet above). You can also read about the famous Wright brothers--the above-mentioned Orville, and his brother Wilbur who helped him to build that first flying machine, a.k.a the Wright Flyer--and learn more about the history of flight.

Plus, all you lucky Millsberrians can check out the Community Center's Director of Donations, Laslo Balint's antique biplane. A biplane is an aircraft with two main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation.

Laslo notes, "It's tradition for me to bring out my antique biplane on National Aviation Day. The practice was actually passed down from my great-grandfather and, in a moment, I'm going to take it out on a short flight!'

Typically, Laslo's mini-flight will last about three minutes. And, because it's a very old model, he also offers Millsberrians a mini-tour of its interior.

And lucky you because now you can purchase your very own biplane, right here in Millsberry. And don't forget to pick up your Amelia Earhart Aviation Cap and Goggles (Earhart was a famous female pilot). It's the perfect way to celebrate the holiday...and to remember the importance of aviation, everyday. We guarantee you'll never look at a plane the same way again!