The windy state

I went to a family reunion in North Carolina the other day. It was up in the mountains and very pretty. I have to say that I really enjoy the scenery in NC. However, one thing about the state really bugs me.

The state motto on the North Carolina license plates says "First in flight". To some extent that is true. Kitty Hawk, North Carolina was the site of the Wright Brothers' first flight. However, the Wright Brothers weren't natives of North Carolina. They were natives of Ohio. And they did most of their design in Ohio. They came to North Carolina just because of the nice windy hills that the state offered. As a native of Ohio, I'm somewhat offended that they are trying to steal the idea that flight originated in their state. After all, Ohio has the motto "Birthplace of aviation". I think that is a lot closer to the truth. As a service to the state of North Carolina, I will offer up a suggestion, free of charge, that more closely captures the essence of the truth.

Ohio - "Birthplace of aviation"
North Carolina - "Windy hills"