WHAT’S THIS ALL ABOUT?

The light bulb.  The telephone.  The zipper.  The microwave.  Chemotherapy.   The computer.  The internet.  Chocolate chip cookies. 

American history is filled with impossible innovations and fantastically visionary problem solvers who have profoundly changed and, for the most part, improved our lives.  However, the story of one intrepid inventor, one that took place right here in Stafford County, Virginia, still needs to be told.

Self-taught, curious, and determined, Samuel Pierpont Langley was considered one of the nation’s foremost scientific minds of the late nineteenth century.  In an era when theories of human flight were the exclusive domain of quacks and charlatans, Langley risked his professional reputation and career, by asking, “Nature has solved it, and why not man?”  After publishing his studies concluding that mechanical flight “cannot longer be considered beyond our capacity to reach” in 1891, Langley was derided as “the most laughed-at man of the day.”

Shocking the scientific community, Langley proved his theories correct on May 6, 1896, when he became the first "to construct a practicable machine for navigation of the air." Aerodrome No. 5, an unmanned, engine-driven aircraft, flew for 3,300 feet over one minute and thirty seconds over the Potomac River in Stafford County, Virginia.  The experiment’s success reverberated around the world.  According to one newspaper, Langley's achievement was “…of far greater significance to the future of humanity than the dove which winged its way from the Ark of Noah.”  Afterwards, Langley didn’t rush to patent his technology for personal profit, he shared it with the world in hopes that others could help in the “commercial and practical development of the idea” for the benefit of mankind.  Seven years later in 1903, two other Americans, Orville and Wilbur Wright were the first to achieve manned, controlled, flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.  Langley’s own attempt to achieve manned flight failed publicly and spectacularly, tarnishing his reputation and revolutionary achievement.

Haven’t heard of Samuel Pierpont Langley or his Aerodrome?  You aren’t alone.  Chances are you haven’t missed a sign, textbook, or documentary where this feat was mentioned, because they don’t exist.  Perhaps the biggest shame of this historical omission is that what was called the “most remarkable mechanical mystery of the age” was solved RIGHT HERE, in Stafford County, Virginia. 

OUR GOAL

The Langley Flight Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit, is determined to rightfully celebrate Langley’s achievement in Stafford County as a reminder of the power of the human mind when we dare to ask “why not?”  The Foundation has already raised $300,000 for the construction of an exact reproduction of Aerodrome No. 5 by KipAero, experts in vintage aircraft and steam engine reproductions, to be displayed at the Stafford Regional Airport.   The Foundation needs to raise additional funds to create an experience worthy of the historical significance of the achievement of heavier-than-air flight.  The FOundation continues to seek corporate sponsorships, grants, and private donations to make the project a reality.

OUR ASK

The goal of this grassroots fundraiser is to raise $12,500 towards Phase II of the Langley Aerodrome Experience.  100% of the proceeds will be used for the interpretive, interactive experience at the Stafford Regional Airport.   The Foundation is an all-volunteer, unpaid organization.   We are asking those of you who have called Stafford County home at some point in your life to help us restore our history and to tell this story of determined perseverance against seemingly insurmountable obstacles.  The Langley Aerodrome Experience will provide a tactile connection between our rediscovered past and the inventive American spirit future generations will call upon to solve complex problems to preserve and improve our way of life.  The replica will also serve as a launch point for showcasing Stafford County’s place in aviation history, to promote tourism, inspire STEM education, and help attract aviation related businesses to the County.