Flight has forever thrilled, even when it was believed that humans would never be able to slip the bonds of earth's gravity. However, with the success of balloons as a mode of transportation, man took one step closer to powered, heavier-than-air flight. On December 17, 1903, the first flight by Orville and Wilbur Wright took place in the backyard of Hampton Roads, and the course of history was forever changed. Indeed, aviation has deep roots in the region. Hot-air balloons provided reconnaissance flights here during the Civil War, and manned space flights to the moon were
developed at NASA's Langley Research Center in the 1960s. Also, in the early days of civil aviation, Norfolk was on the route map for several pioneer airlines, linking the area with major cities along the eastern seaboard. Today, the region is served by two commercial airports: Norfolk International and Newport News-Williamsburg International.

When Capt. John Smith first landed his ships at Cape Henry in Virginia Beach, he must have known the military importance of the jut of land; today, it is home to Fort Story, and the location played a key role during World War II in making sure enemy ships and subs did not sail into the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and onto Norfolk, the world's largest naval base. Smith established this country's first military base when he settled in Jamestown, building a fort to protect the early colonists. That simple military presence grew exponentially and during World War II was instrumental in not only defending the homeland, but in winning the war. From the Peninsula to Southside, the Hampton Roads area is military proud. There are more than a dozen forts and bases, many of which sprung up during World War II or were greatly expanded during that time.