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Aviation in North Dakota facts for kids

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Aviation in North Dakota
Aviation in the United States
North Dakota
North Dakota State Flag
Airports
Commercial – primary 5
Commercial – non-primary 3
General aviation 45
Other public-use airports 37
Military and other airports 2
First flight
19 July 1910

Aviation in North Dakota is all about flying! It happens at the state's 89 public airports. Eight of these are busy commercial airports. Some famous pilots from North Dakota include Carl Ben Eielson, Bruce Peterson, and James Buchli.

The very first flight in North Dakota happened on July 19, 1910. A Wright Model B airplane flew at the Grand Forks Air Meet. The pilot was Archibald Hoxsey, who was part of the Wright Exhibition Team.

Luckybobandhisflight-newspaper-1911
Lucky Bob and a drawing of his airplane, 1911.

Exciting Aviation Events

NASM - Wright Model B - reproduction
A Wright Model B on display

North Dakota has a rich history of amazing flights and aviation milestones. Here are some cool moments:

  • On June 9, 1911, a Curtiss Biplane called "Sweetheart" flew at the Fargo Fairgrounds. About 12,000 people watched pilot Robert "Lucky Bob" St. Henry.
  • Just a month later, on July 12, 1911, Thomas McGoey flew a special plane. It was the first aircraft designed and built in North Dakota! It was called the Kenworthy-McGoey flying machine.
  • In July 1916, the city of Bismarck saw its very first airplane flight.
  • A North Dakota native, Carl Ben Eielson, made history in 1928. He and Hubert Wilkins were the first people to fly across the Arctic Ocean. What an adventure!
Western Canada, Washington, Montana, and Washington 1925 Air Routes
North Dakota air route of 1925

Building Airplanes and Parts

North Dakota also plays a role in making airplanes and their parts.

Airplane Makers

  • Cirrus Aircraft is a company located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. They build modern airplanes.
  • The Kenworthy-McGoey Aviation Company was around in 1911. They built and showed off airplanes.
  • The Boughton Flying Machine Corporation had a tough start. Their first airplane model was lost in 1916.

Airplane Parts

Many companies in North Dakota make important parts for airplanes:

  • Northrop Grumman has a location in New Town, North Dakota.
  • Goodrich Corporation is in Jamestown, North Dakota.
  • Ideal Aerosmith is found in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
  • Appareo Systems is located in Fargo, North Dakota.

Learning to Fly

If you want to become a pilot, North Dakota has a great place to learn!

  • The John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences is at the University of North Dakota. It's one of the biggest flight training schools for civilians in the whole country.

Airports in North Dakota

North Dakota has many airports where planes take off and land.

Commercial Airports

These airports offer flights for people traveling to different cities:

Amazing People in Aviation

  • James Buchli was born in Fargo, North Dakota. He became an astronaut and flew on four Space Shuttle missions!

Aviation Groups

  • The North Dakota Aviation Council is a group of six organizations. They all work together to promote and support aviation in North Dakota.

Aviation Museums

Want to see cool airplanes up close? Check out these museums:

  • Bonanzaville, USA has an Eagles hangar with many different aircraft.
  • The Dakota Territory Air Museum is in Minot, North Dakota. It was started in 1986.
  • The Fargo Air Museum in Fargo has amazing planes. Some of them are even flying examples of World War II aircraft!

Gallery

  • Gfkairport

    Grand Forks Airport

  • Duggy DC-3

    Fargo Air Museum's Duggy

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