Should the Wright Flyer be Ohio's official aircraft?
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – Local politicians want the 1905 Wright Flyer III to be the official aircraft of Ohio.
Senate Bill 24 of the 136th General Assembly was proposed to adopt the 1905 Wright Flyer III as the state airplane of Ohio.
Showcasing a unique piece of Dayton's history, the Wright Flyer III was the first practical airplane. It was first flown by Orville and Wilbur Wright at Huffman Prairie. It stayed flying for 39 minutes and 24 seconds on Oct. 5, 1905.
'Ohio is the home of aviation, 120 years ago, two amazing Ohioans did the hard work to ensure success in flight, and they started that work in Ohio, on Huffman Prairie where now our Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is. The aircraft demonstrates the incredible strides that have taken place in aviation technology,' said Willis.
'First Bloom' to clean-up Dayton ahead of NATO assembly
The 1905 Wright Flyer III is on display at the Wright Brothers Aviation Center at Carillon Historic Park in Dayton. It is the only airplane to be designated as a National Historic Landmark. Orville himself led the restoration effort of it in 1947.
'Now, the future of aviation is in Ohio with Joby Aviation's electric aircraft factory construction in Dayton, Beta Aviation's Alia electric aircraft stopping through Ohio on cross-country flights, and Anduril investing $1 billion in autonomous military aircraft production right here in Ohio,' said Willis. 'Recognizing the Wright Flyer III as our official state aircraft is a natural course of action to solidify Ohio as the birthplace, history of and future of aviation.'
The choice to make it the official aircraft of Ohio is now up to the Governor.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Wright Flyer III is now Ohio's official state airplane
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — The historic 1905 Wright Flyer III is being recognized on the state level with a new designation. Gov. Mike DeWine visited Carillon Park in Dayton Friday to sign off on Senate Bill 24, which designates the Wright Flyer as Ohio's official state airplane. The bill was sponsored by state senators Terry Johnson (R-McDermott) and Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City). High flying acts announced for 2025 Dayton Air Show The Wright Flyer III was first flown by Orville Wright on June 23, 1905. This plane is significant since it was flown in Dayton — having been tested at Huffman Prairie near Fairborn. 'The 1905 Wright Flyer III is a prime example of why Ohio is considered the heart of innovation,' said DeWine. 'Making the Wright Flyer III the official state airplane is a great way to honor Ohio's aviation heritage.' The ceremonial signing took place at the John W. Berry Sr. Wright Brothers National Museum, where the original Wright Flyer is on display. DeWine says only 20 percent of the plane has been restored, with 80 percent still being the original materials crafted by the Wright Brothers themselves. 'It's a wonderful thing to to come out here and to see it,' said DeWine. 'These two guys from Dayton, Ohio, who had a bicycle/print shop and decided that, they got inspired, that they wanted to fly and they figured it out.' The John W. Berry Sr. Wright Brothers National Museum is open daily at Carillon Park. Click here to learn more. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Fire at Miami Township home under investigation
MIAMI TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WDTN) — Firefighters were called Friday afternoon to a Miami Township neighborhood. Crews from the Miami Valley Fire District were dispatched to the area of Pinegrove and Silvercliff drives. Officials arrived to the location in reference to a reported structure fire. Sprinklers cause $200K in damage to MIX 107.7 after downtown fire Officials at the scene told our 2 NEWS crew at the scene that no one is believed to have been home at the time of the fire. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to fire officials. 2 NEWS is working to learn more. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Wright Flyer III becomes Ohio's official plane
Jun. 13—In the shadow of the world's first practical airplane, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine recently celebrated with Wright family members legislation that makes the 1905 Wright Flyer the official state airplane. Standing in Carillon Historical Park's Wright Hall, the building designed to house the flyer, DeWine reenacted the signing of the bill, with Amanda Wright Lane and Stephen Wright — great-grandniece and great grandnephew of Wilbur and Orville Wright — looking on. Also watching was Rehn Wright Banhos, Amanda Wright Lane's grandson and a Columbus-area fourth grader. The Wright Flyer III, comprised of 80% original components, is the only airplane designated a national historic landmark and "is considered an engineering landmark, as well," said Brady Kress, president and chief executive of Dayton History. Orville Wright first flew the plane in June 1905. The Wrights used the plane to learn aerial maneuvers above Greene County's Huffman Prairie that year before ultimately restoring it for display in 1950 at Carillon Park, according to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. "The plane behind us all is considered the world's first practical airplane," Kress said. "That's what Orville Wright called it." Orville Wright wanted Wright Hall built so that the plane was held in a pit, giving onlookers a chance to see it from above. "The only way to really understand how it flies is to look down on it," Kress said. "So you have the best seats in the house." The very first Wright Flyer became part of the Smithsonian Institution's collection in 1948. It is on display today in Washington, D.C. in the National Air and Space Museum. A 1909 Wright Military flier replica can be found at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force In his remarks, DeWine emphasized that the Wrights perfected flying in Dayton and above Huffman Prairie. "I hate it to break it to our friends in North Carolina," DeWine said to laughter. "God love them. They had great wind and they had great sand. But for the Wright Brothers, we know it worked out very very well. State Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, described himself as an enthusiastic co-sponsor of the bill. He quipped that the next step was to get a representation of the plane on the state's great seal. "The Wright Brothers don't just belong to us," said State Sen. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, who introduced the bill. "They belong to America."
