Tuesday marked the 99th anniversary of flight. The Wright brothers made their first successful flight with the help of a bicycle mechanic and machinist named Charlie Taylor, who powered them to flight with an engine he designed and built from raw materials.

So what does this have to do with you and with Burbank? Well, Charlie resides with us here in Burbank.

Of all the places in the world to lie in rest, Charlie chose the 'Portal of the Folded Wings' at Valhalla Cemetery in Burbank, just south of the airport. He chose Burbank because it was a center of aviation development and excellence for more than 60 years and he chose the "Portal because he would be in the company of a dozen other aviation pioneers.

The Portal was dedicated as a shrine to aviation in 1953, on the 50th anniversary of flight. Every south bound plane that takes off from Burbank airport flies over the Portal. And every aircraft that flies anywhere in the world on any day has Charlie to thank because he was the first one to make it happen.

During this next year, as events unfold celebrating the Centennial of Flight, there will be lots of talk about the Wright brothers from Dayton, Ohio, and their first flight from Kill Devil Hill in North Carolina, but remember that the guy who made their powered flight possible is Charlie Taylor and that he resides with us right here in Burbank.

The Burbank Aviation Museum docents are available each Sunday from noon until 4 p.m., weather permitting. Visit the museum at Valhalla and say hello to Charlie.

Ron Dickson

Burbank, CA