Most of Virginia's outstanding historical attractions commemorate events, structures, and individuals from pre-history through the Civil War. An internet search of Virginia's historical attractions yields an impressive list of pre-historic, colonial, and Civil War sites, but relatively few from Reconstruction through the turn of the 20th century. This dearth of late nineteenth century attractions suggests that Virginia ceded its early national prominence and leadership to other parts of the country after the Civil War. In addition, many of these sites struggle to gain the attention of our youth, who have grown up in a technologically advanced world.

However, Virginia has a claim to a significant leadership role in the development of aviation in the United States that has not been celebrated. Major aviation advancements have occurred in Virginia, including Professor Thaddeus Lowe's balloon reconnaissance corps during the Civil War, the training of the country's first pilots at Fort Myer in 1908, the launch of the U.S.'s first aircraft carrier, USS Langley, at Norfolk in 1924, and the training of World War II pilots at Langley Field in Hampton in the 1940's.

Perhaps the most significant, and least recognized, aviation accomplishment in Virginia was Samuel Pierpont Langley's achievement of heavier-than-air flight in 1896. Between 1894 and 1896, Langley conducted tests of his unmanned "aerodromes" culminating in a successful flight of Aerodrome No. 5 on May 6, 1896 of 3,300 feet over one minute and thirty seconds in Stafford County, Virginia. This achievement, which the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum acknowledges as, “the world’s first successful flight of an unpiloted, engine-driven, heavier-than-air aircraft of substantial size,” occurred seven years prior to the Wright Brothers' first manned flight in 1903.

The story of Aerodrome No. 5 is one of perseverance over antiquated scientific assumptions for the benefit of society. The Langley Aerodrome Initiative seeks to tell this story so that this inspiration can be handed down to future generations.