On the Wing

For people like me (and you) — aviation junkies — this is the most anticipated issue of the year! Looking through fantastic images of business and first class cabins is like a trip to the candy store. Having spent nearly every summer on the beach in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, over the last 15 years, I’m proud to see the destination covered from the aviation perspective. It reminds me to take some time to visit the Wright Brothers National Memorial next time I am there. Interesting fact: The memorial is actually in Kill Devil Hills, the next town south from Kitty Hawk. When the Wright brothers informed the world of their first flight, the communication went out via telegraph from the Kitty Hawk Lifesaving Station. There was no town called Kill Devil Hills in 1903; the town was established much later, in the 1950s.

If you do make the trip to Kitty Hawk to see the memorial and the museum, make sure you take some time to enjoy Kitty Hawk’s beaches, which remain dogfriendly. For dinner, stop in at Ocean Boulevard Bistro;

4 say hello to Donny and Heather King, and tell them you will have the Mr. Gallagher special!

When you think about how far aviation has come, it boggles the mind. From the Wright brothers’ first heavier-than-air flight (balloons are lighter than air) to the Boeing 707, 747 and Dreamliner and the recent return of the Airbus A380 to many airlines, human flight has been a fast-paced adventure.

What can you compare to flying in a bed and being served the best cuisine and wines? That offers me a nice segue …

In 2024 Global Traveler will restart the Wines on the Wing premium-class wine survey, which we put on hold during the pandemic. Carriers like American Airlines, United Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Singapore Airlines and others anticipate the annual judging by the best, most qualified wine experts on Earth.

Join me in raising a glass to the Aviation Issue!