Everybody knows that Ohio is the birthplace of aviation, and Ohio's Aviation Trail focuses on the history of flying in the Dayton area. The 16 sites are scattered amongst seven geographic areas, including more distant spots like Troy, Urbana and Wapakoneta. It all starts with Orville and Wilbur Wright, and the Wright brothers museum complex is an excellent place to start your tour.
The Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center and the Aviation Trail Visitor Center provide all the information that you need to get going. Before you head out, be sure to visit the Parachute Museum. Located on the second floor of the Visitor Center, the Parachute Museum pays tribute to the evolution of the parachute; the free-fall parachute was also developed in Ohio. From there, you will get a taste of the neighborhood where it all started. As part of the National Park Service, the five units of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park introduce you not only to the Wright Brothers, but also to one of their colleagues in the printing business, Paul Laurence Dunbar.
All five of these sites are listed on the National Historic Register and include the printing office, bicycle shop, the third airplane that the Wright brothers built, Huffman Prairie Flying Field where they launched a plane and the homes of the Wright Brothers (Hawthorn Hill) and Paul Laurence Dunbar.
No doubt, the National Museum of the United States Air Force is probably the best-known of all the sites on the trail and also the most visited. Just the inside holds more than 17 acres of indoor exhibit space. With three attached inside spaces, the museum warrants a full-day visit and honestly if you read all the exhibit descriptions, you could easily spend several days there. I like to focus on one specific topic or exhibit. Be sure to wear comfy shoes.
Located just north of Urbana, the smaller Champaign Aviation Museum pays tribute to the WAFS and their role in World War II. Many of these women tested or delivered aircraft. Volunteers here are also restoring the Champaign Lady, an aircraft from the World War II era.
The Wright Brothers flying machine created the impetus for the evolution of flight, which continued through the space program. Ohioan Neil Armstrong , Wapakoneta native, walked on the moon in 1969. The Armstrong Air & Space Museum contains several interactive exhibits that allow visitors to experience some of the duties of an astronaut.
Kids should get a copy of the Wilbear passport and get it stamped at each site that they visit. After visiting seven of the trail sites, they become eligible to receive a Wilbear Wright teddy bear.
Make a day or weekend of exploring these 16 sites dedicated to the Wright Brothers, Ohio and flight. Pack a picnic or if you are in Dayton at the right time of the year, visit the Dayton Air Show. You can read about a previous air show right here.
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