Dayton's National Park (Part II)

    Have you ever gotten into a discussion, usually with someone from North Carolina, about who should be able to claim the title “birthplace of aviation”: Kitty Hawk or Dayton?
    We hear it at the national park all the time; and some people are surprised when we say that North Carolina is right to say that it was “first in flight,” because the Wright Brothers did in fact first fly on December 17, 1903, at Kill Devil Hills on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

     But the Wrights considered that flight and the three follow-on flights that day as just a step in the process of developing a fully controllable, truly practical airplane. They were able to launch their 1903 flyer because the weather conditions were just right. They made four straight hops, all less than one minute; and then they landed without breaking their necks—truly a positive step forward in the history of aviation. Still, the flyer was conceived and constructed in Dayton; thus, the title “Birthplace of Aviation” rightly belongs to Dayton. The city’s claim to the title is further strengthened by what happened after Kitty Hawk.

    When the Wrights came back to Dayton and celebrated Christmas with their family in December 1903, they knew there was much more work to be done. They wanted to develop a practical, commercially viable airplane. One that could take off and land safely and not be dependent upon the weather; one that was fully and easily maneuverable while in flight; and one that could stay in the air as long as its fuel lasted. So, for the next two years—1904 and 1905—the Wright Brothers developed what eventually became the world’s first practical airplane: the 1905 Wright Flyer III.

    That plane, which is on display at the Wright Brothers Aviation Center at Carillon Historical Park just south of downtown Dayton, was first tested and flown in the middle of a cow pasture known as Huffman Prairie Flying Field, the world’s first airfield. On October 5, 1905, Wilbur flew the plane, circumnavigating the field 24 times in 39 minutes, longer than all of their other flights during 1903, 1904, and 1905 combined! The field, a national historic landmark, is located next to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base on State Route 444 and is open to the public daily from 8 am to 6 pm except for Wednesdays. There, visitors can see a replica of the Wrights’ 1905 hangar and derrick used to launch their plane. Additionally, wayside markers tell the story of the Wrights at Huffman Prairie and lead the visitor to the site of their 1910 hangar where the Wright Company tested their follow-on models and had an aviation school as well as an exhibition team. You can also see a replica of the interurban platform called Simms Station, where the Wrights arrived after their trip from West Dayton on an electric trolley which used to connect Dayton with Springfield and Urbana.

    Your visit to Huffman Prairie Flying Field might be enhanced if you first experience the national park’s visitor center and museum atop Wright Memorial Hill off of Kauffman Road. There, you can see movies on the Wright Brothers and on the history of Wright-Patterson AFB, which is their continuing legacy. The exhibits tell the story of the Wrights at Huffman Prairie and the innovations in flight which have continued in our area for over a century.

    Make your visit complete by spending some time roaming the park surrounding the Wright Brothers Memorial. The park, which has tables and benches for picnics, was landscaped by the Olmsted Brothers and constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the late 1930s. Ranger-led programs covering different subjects of Dayton history are provided at the memorial daily during the summer months.

This article was sent to us from Mark Dues of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.