December 14, 1903
(inset detail: Members of US Lifesaving Station)
Image credit: Library of Congress

The Wrights didn't always work alone. When it came to the 1903 Flyer, they relied on their friends and neighbors in Kitty Hawk. In previous years they greatly depended on the local population, particularly the Tate family. The gliders required only one other person to help the Wrights in flight tests. The Flyer was a different story. It was much heavier, and required several willing souls to help cart it to and from the launch rail.

The men of the U.S. Lifesaving Service stationed near Kitty Hawk proved invaluable to the Wrights in the trials of the 1903 Flyer. They assisted Orville and Wilbur with each test of the Flyer. Perhaps their most significant contribution to the Wrights was simply their presence: they were the crucial witnesses to the first flights.