Glide Over the Outer Banks

Slip into the harness of a bright red-and-white hang glider, and take a running leap off a North Carolina sand dune. Besides all the attractions of the seashore, many people come to the Outer Banks to fly. The Wright Brothers did it, and so can you.

Visitors solo with the help of a watchful instructor after a couple of hours of lessons. Most fly farther than the 120 feet Orville covered on his first attempt at powered flight. When you come back to Earth, tour the nearby Wright Brothers National Memorial to see replicas of the 1902 Wright Glider and the 1903 Wright Flyer. The memorial buzzes with activities on National Aviation Day, held on Orville's birthday, August 19.

left: Take off in a hang glider, with help from an instructor, atop the lofty North Carolina sand dunes.