The skyline of the Outer Banks is subdued but always in motion. Shifting dunes and swaying grass, lighthouses erected and retreating from the surf, cottages built but claimed by the sea. In 1963 the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge dramatically transformed this ever changing skyline. When the bridge opened it allowed residents of and visitors to the Outer Banks to cross Oregon Inlet for the first time without the use of a ferry. Now the skyline has changed again.

The next time you drive to or form Hatteras Island you may well be crossing Oregon Inlet on a new bridge. This new bridge, yet unnamed but which dwarfs the traveled and tide-worn Herbert C. Bonner Bridge, is complete (or at least 99.9% complete as lane markings still need to be painted before the bridge can be opened to traffic). The bridge is 2.8 miles long and 90 feet tall, but what is most noticeable and impressive about the structure is how it carries that maximum height for such a distance.
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According to HDR, the lead design firm on the Oregon Inlet bridge replacement project, “the centerpiece of the new bridge design is a 3,550-foot-long, 11-span, segmental concrete box girder bridge. This massive structure provides nine 350-foot spans, any of which can accommodate the shifting position of the navigation channel through the ever-changing Oregon Inlet.”

Once the new bridge opens to traffic, all but 1000 feet of the original Herbert C. Bonner Bridge will begin to be disassembled and placed piece by piece on the ocean floor to create an artificial reef. For a short time only the two bridges will exist in parallel.

Capture the Beauty of the Outer Banks from the Sky with our Photography Flights
OBX Airplanes can give you the chance to photograph the new bridge over Oregon Inlet (and for a short time, the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge next to it) as well as the numerous other iconic sights on the Outer Banks from a unique perspective.

We offer Photography Flights in our Cessna airplanes and can help you capture the beauty of the Outer Banks from the sky. The Cessna is a highly maneuverable aircraft and is capable of flying at slow speeds that will give you the time to get the image you want. The Cessna’s high wings are also good at staying out of the picture – no wingtip photo bombs.

The Outer Banks is very photogenic. Just browse through our website to see some amazing aerial photographs of our beautiful coastline and its iconic lighthouses, inlets, bridges and beaches. Our Photography Flights are customizable (we’ll fly where you want us to), affordable, and can accommodate up to 3 photographers / passengers. At only $249, these flights are perfect for professional photographers or of a group of friends who want to get some memorable pictures (or Instagram stories).