Aviation in Virginia explained

Region:	Virginia
Series:	Aviation in the United States
Cs Primary:	9
General Aviation:	66
Military:	11
First Flight:	7 May 1801 (Balloon), 3 Sept 1908 Heavier than air

Virginia's first aeronautical event was in Williamsburg, Virginia, when a balloon flight was launched from the College of William & Mary using wine spirits for fuel.^[1]

Events

• Thaddeus S. C. Lowe and the Union Army Balloon Corps during the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War
• 3 September 1908 - Orville Wright flew the first heavier than air flight in Virginia from Fort Myer.
• Late 20th Century: SST flights of the Concorde from Dulles International.

Aircraft Manufacturers

• Dynamic Aviation

Aerospace

• Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems.

Wallops Flight Facility and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Airports

See main article: List of airports in Virginia.

Commercial Service

• Washington Dulles International Airport provides international air service.

People

• David M. Brown Astronaut from Arlington Virginia who flew in STS-107 mission.
• Richard E. Byrd, Polar aviator

Organizations

• Virginia Aeronautic Historical Society^[2]
• Virginia Airport Operators Council^[3]

Government and Military

• All flight operations in Virginia are conducted within FAA oversight.
• The Virginia Department of Aviation manages state airport policy.^[4]
• The Virginia Air National Guard is the Air Reserve Component of the U.S. Air Force.

Museums

• Virginia Aviation Museum Richmond.
• Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, part of the National Air and Space Museum, opened 2003
• Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton, Virginia
• Air Power Park in Hampton, Virginia

Notes and References

1. Web site: First Balloon Flight in Virginia. 1 September 2014.
2. Web site: Virginia Aeronautic Historical Society. 1 September 2014.
3. Web site: Virginia Airport Operators Council. 1 September 2014.
4. Web site: VDOA. 1 September 2014.