Dayton Aviation Heritage

https://www.nps.gov/daav/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dayton_Aviation_Heritage_National_Historical_Park Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park in Dayton, Ohio, United States that commemorates three important historical figures—Wilbur Wright, Orville Wright, and poet Paul Laurence Dunbar—and their work in the Miami Valley. Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park was established to honor the lives and achievements of poet and author Paul Laurence Dunbar and aviation pioneers Wilbur and Orville Wright. Through perseverance and dedication Orville, Wilbur and Paul were able to overcome obstacles in their lives and leave their respective marks on history. Start your visit at one of our locations today. Located in west-central Ohio, the park is easily accessible via I-70, I-75 or US Route 35. The main park visitor center, Wright Dunbar Interpretive Center, is located at S. Williams St. and W. Third St. in Dayton. Huffman Prairie Interpretive Center Located on an active U.S. Air Force base (Wright Patterson AFB), the Huffman Prairie Interpretive Center provides visitors with a closer look at the aviation side of the Wright Brothers story. This visitor center is open Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., but the grounds remain open dawn to dusk all seven days of the week. Located on Memorial Road on the Wright Patterson Air Force Base, the visitor center is near the State Route 444 and Kauffman Road intersection. Paul Laurence Dunbar House Visitor Center Visitor center and museum focusing on the life and achievements of internationally acclaimed poet and author Paul Laurence Dunbar. Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center The Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center is located just west of downtown Dayton on South Williams Street, directly south of Third Street. Interpretive displays, interactive exhibits and the park introductory film are all available at the WDIC. A small gift shop is also on site and is stocked with souvenirs and books related to the Wrights and Paul Laurence Dunbar. Located in west-central Ohio, in Dayton, the park is easily accessed from major routes I-70, I-75 and US Route 35. No Camping Available There are no campgrounds available within the park. Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center A three-story brick building with tall green windows and a tall photo mural on the glass wall The main entrance to the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center Wright Cycle Company Bike Shop A two-story brick building with tall windows and shutters on them with sign "The Wright Cycle Co." A front view of the building housing The Wright Cycle Company bike shop. Wrights and Dunbar mural A brick wall with artwork of three men and an airplane etched out of the brick. An artistic mural etched out of the red brick wall at the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center entrance. Huffman Prairie Interpretive Center A one story stone building with a small tower jutting out of the middle and three people walking out The main entrance to the Huffman Prairie Interpretive Center The Wright Brothers memorial A tall gray stone monolith with a brown bronze plaque affixed to the front with trees in background The Wright Brothers Memorial at the Huffman Prairie Interpretive Center grounds. 1905 Replica Hangar at Huffman Prairie Flying Field The fog lifts as the suns rays peek through the mist revealing a wood-frame hangar and flag pole. The replica 1905 hangar at Huffman Prairie Flying Field. Huffman Prairie Flying Field replica catapault A long wood and steel rail leading to a pyramid tower structure in the background. A replica catapault system similar to what the Wrights used during their trials at Huffman Prairie. Huffman Prairie Flying Field entrance A dirt road between tall trees with a stone sign reading Huffman Prairie Flying Field. The main entrance road into Huffman Prairie Flying Field. Paul Laurence Dunbar House Historic Site A two-story home with peaked gray roof and two chimneys with green shutters around the windows The Paul Laurence Dunbar House Historic Site in Dayton, Ohio. West Third Street Historic District Cultural Landscape The West Third Street Historic District is a historic designed landscape in Dayton, Ohio, The district, composed of two- and three-story brick buildings of varying architectural styles, is characterized as a suburban streetcar commercial block with a period of significance from 1885 to 1924. It is also significant for it association with Paul Laurence Dunbar and Orville and Wilbur Wright. Two and three story brick buildings line a street in a block of West Third Street Historic District. Dayton Landscapes in Aviation History On October 5, 1905, Wilbur Wright flew the world’s first practical airplane, the Wright Flyer III, for an unprecedented 39 minutes and 23 seconds at Huffman Flying Field in Ohio. This accomplishment represented the inception of modern aviation. That field is just one of several cultural landscapes in and around the city of Dayton, Ohio that are associated with inventors Orville and Wilbur Wright's accomplishments and the development of aeronautics. Wilbur and Orville Wright stand beside a early flying machine in a field next to a hangar Commemorating the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk The commemoration of the Wright brothers achievements at Kitty Hawk is in many ways as fascinating as the brothers' achievements themselves. L to R- Orville Wright, Hiram Bingham, Amelia Earhart in front of boulder, 1928 Road to First Flight The Wright brothers stayed at Kitty Hawk intermittently from 1900 to 1903, perfecting their flying experiments. Wright glider being used as a kite- Kitty Hawk, 1901 Huffman Prairie Flying Field Cultural Landscape The open meadow character and somewhat uneven terrain of Huffman Prairie Flying Field, now part of Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park, was a significant landscape in the development of Orville and Wilbur Wright's first practical airplane. Later, Huffman Field became the location for the Wright School of Aviation that trained civilian and military pilots from 1910 to 1916. A path is cut through the tall grass of a prairie. 11 Ways National Parks Influenced World War I (and vice versa) Uncover the hidden history of World War I in the national parks! A Renault tank and infantry move through a field The Fundamentals of Flight A description of lift, thrust, and control, three elements for a successful flight. Illustration of aircraft showing principles of lift The Conspicuous Absence of the Wright Family at the U.S. outset of WWI As war with Germany proved to be inevitable, the U.S. entered the world-wide conflict in April of 1917. However, from the outset of the U.S. entry into the war, one notable family was conspicuously absent from the outset. While the U.S. prepared for war, the Wright family had their focus on something entirely different. Family members sitting on a hill in front of a large home The Wright Flyer The Wright Flyer, the world's first successful airplane. Wright Flyer viewed from the left- Kitty Hawk, 1903 The First Flight The Wright brothers achieve the world's first powered flight. The Wright Flyer lifts off with Orville piloting and Wilbur running alongside- Kitty Hawk, 1903 Shaping the System under President George H.W. Bush President George H.W. Bush was an ardent supporter of the national parks. Explore some the parks that are part of the legacy of the presidency of George H.W. Bush, who served as the 41st president of the United States from January 20, 1989 to January 20, 1993. President George H.W. Bush shaking hands with a park ranger at the World War II Memorial Dayton, Aviation, and the First World War When the war began in Europe, the United States military had very few airplanes – only six airplanes, and fourteen trained pilots, were available for use. America realized she needed to strengthen its air power, and quickly. A pilot and gunner sit in a parked DH-4 biplane. Historic Aviation Places The nation's remarkable aviation history is reflected in numerous districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Article discusses early aviation in the U.S., with ballooning, and two sites affiliated with the Wright brothers--Dayton Aviation Heritage NHP and Wright Brothers National Memorial. A small plane flies over a group of people looking at it A Racism Story National Park Service rangers tell the stories of America, and for some those stories aren’t just a piece of history. They are personal memories. We tell the story of humanity, and our rangers. This is a personal story from one of our rangers at Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. Portrait of a park ranger in front of a black background Things to Do in Ohio Find things to do, trip ideas, and more in Ohio. Steam fog lifts up from grass-covered mounds surrounded by trees. Series: Things to Do in the Midwest There is something for everyone in the Midwest. See what makes the Great Plains great. Dip your toes in the continent's inland seas. Learn about Native American heritage and history. Paddle miles of scenic rivers and waterways. Explore the homes of former presidents. From the Civil War to Civil Rights, discover the stories that shape our journey as a nation. Steep bluff with pink sky above and yellow leaves below. The Pulitzer Trophy and National Air Races at Wilbur Wright Field In October 1924, Wilbur Wright Field, a short distance northeast of Dayton, Ohio (and today part of Area B of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base), hosted the fifth (of an eventual six) Pulitzer Air Race. The Pulitzer race was one of ten different races contested as part of the three-day National Air Race (the events are also sometimes given the title of “Dayton International Air Races”).

Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park Ohio National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park is a new unit of the national park system. It was established to commemorate the legacy of three exceptional men — Wilbur Wright, Orville Wright, and Paul Laurence Dunbar — and their work in the Miami Valley. What dreams we have and how they fly. Paul Laurence Dunbar On October 16, 1992, Congress established Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park to commemorate the legacy of three exceptional men — Wilbur Wright, Orville Wright, and Paul Laurence Dunbar — and their work in the Miami Valley. Through the invention of powered flight, Wilbur and Orville Wright made a significant contribution to human history. These two men, self-trained in the science and art of aviation, built and flew the first heavier-than-air powered flying machine. The Wrights also built and flew the world's first airplane that was practical and controllable. At their flying school on Huffman Prairie, they trained over a hundred military and civilian aviators, many of whom became leading figures in aviation in the following decades. Wilbur and Orville Wright, 1909 -9 a) > c 01 re uo SZ en rl < TO rrj C o _a» ~o u 75 The Wrights applied the mechanical aptitude that they had inherited from their mother to their early printing and bicycle manufacturing businesses and later to their aviation endeavors. From their father they had learned how to think critically, to hone their powers of observation, and to keep detailed and accurate records. Their father also taught them to put their faith in family before all others. For this tightly knit clan, the family structure provided safety in a sometimes hostile world. The Wrights needed that support in the turbulent years that followed their first flights. As engineers, the Wrights employed a painstaking scientific methodology to solve the problem of powered flight. The experiments they conducted used a wind tunnel of their own construction and enabled them to overturn some commonly accepted formulas for wing configuration. They were able to determine the correct dimensions for wings that would support a powered airplane. As master mechanics, the brothers built the machines they flew and the small internal combustion engines that powered them. Their experience as bicycle builders provided critical background in the construction of lightweight, efficient machines capable of motion. They applied the same principles used in steering bicycles to the control mechanisms for airplanes and used chains from the engines to turn the propellers. The Wrights thoroughly tested each of their innovations in flight technology and diligently recorded the successes and failures of each stage of development. Careful documentation of procedures helped them to streamline their efforts to achieve heavier-than-air powered flight and proved invaluable in the bitter patent fights that followed their widely publicized flights of 1908. Their quiet determination, unstinting attention to detail, and combined genius brought them success in an endeavor where death could be the penalty for failure. a, on O 7J O o o .c o_ 2? o 'o o CO 73 o o to X g Born in Dayton to Joshua and Matilda Dunbar, both ex-slaves, Paul Laurence Dunbar was profoundly influenced by his parents through both example and the oral histories they shared with him. For the young lad, Joshua's achievements reflected the virtue of strong determination: he learned a trade while enslaved, he escaped from slavery and traveled the Underground Railroad to freedom in Canada, and during the Civil War, he served with the 55th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers and the 5th Cavalry, rising to the rank of sergeant. Matilda Dunbar extended constant support and her love of the language to Paul, always sharing stories that stimulated his imagination and capacity to dream. His parents' influence, combined with his own bitter firsthand experiences, equipped Dunbar to write passionately of the pervasive racial oppression and intolerance in a nation that claimed dedication to equal rights. 4Z o o in 0J C 7J O o o o sz E Paul Laurence Dunbar 1872-1906 Paul Laurence Dunbar achieved national and international acclaim in a literary world that was exclusively reserved for whites. This gifted and prolific writer produced a body of work that included novels, plays, short stories, news articles, essays, lyrics, orations, and over four hundred published poems. His vivid use of social and historical settings articulated a keen awareness of the inequities of American society. His presentations in classical English and plantation dialect forms evidenced his mastery of the language. Dunbar's work, which reflected much of the black experience in America, contributed to a growing social consciousness and cultural identity for black people in the United States. He associated with Frederick Douglass and other