Commissioned in 1986 by the Air Force Association for presentation to the Air Force Art Collection, the painting depicts the historic moment as Orville Wright and Lt. Benjamin Foulois round Shuter?s Hill in Alexandria, Virginia just before sundown on July 30, 1909. They were half-way through the final test leading to U.S. purchase of the world?s first Military ?Aeroplane?. Orville, with ?Benny? Foulois as Observer, completed the prescribed 10 Mile round trip from Fort Myer to Alexandria, Virginia and return with an average speed of 42.58 Mph. The terms of the contract had been met and the first government aircraft was procured. Airplane #1 went on to train the first military aviators at College Park, MD before subsequently being shipped to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio with a cadre of troops where Lt. Foulois was to ?assemble the aircraft, teach himself to fly? and demonstrate the military uses of the ?aeroplane?. Note that the aircraft flew with a small American Flag attached on this flight.
