Aviation Trail, Inc.
A non-profit corporation in partnership with the
National Park Service
to promote Aviation Heritage
in the Dayton region
Home of the largest
private parachute collection.*
Additional Aviation Trail Sites
These are a few of the Aviation Trail Sites which are not part of the "Wilbear" program.
See the main "Trail Sites" page for the Wilbear sites.
The 17 Aviation Trail sites listed on the main "Trail Sites" page make up the “Wilbear Trail” and are part of the passport system where visitors can collect stamps to earn a "Wilbear Wright" teddy bear. But there are dozens of other area locations that are officially designated as Aviation Trail sites by Aviation Trail, Inc. These other sites are all notable for interesting connections and contributions to the development of aviation in Dayton and the surrounding area. Even though there is no “visitor stamp” involved, they offer a chance to learn more about the rich aviation history of the area. Of the numerous sites designated as part of the Aviation Trail, some are museum type settings with regular visiting hours, while others may be historic locations marked with a plaque. Listed below is just a small sampling of such sites, all significant historic parts of the Aviation Trail.
Pinnacle Hill
Wright Brothers Pinnacles Hiking Trail
4210 Pinnacle Road and Main St., Moraine, OH
https://www.ci.moraine.oh.us/pdf/Parks%20&%20Rec/Wright%20Bros%20Hiking%20Trail%20Flyer.pdf
What were the Pinnacles?
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The pinnacles were geological formations created during the ice age as a deposit of rock and sediment left behind by retreating glaciers. The resulting moraines were a ridge of glacial till formed at the edge of the glacier. The formation of the pinnacles had a distinctive pyramidal or ridge-like structure resulting from erosion of the glacial deposits. Natural erosion processes gradually wore down the softer materials in the glacial deposits, and then human activity, including quarrying of the gravel and sand accelerated the erosion. Formations that had been standing for thousands of years have been reduced to mere remnants over the past century.
Wilbur and Orville Wright's observations of the flight of birds at Pinnacle Hill led to the first breakthrough in their search for the secrets of powered flight, their wing-warping theory for lateral control. Wilbur Wright standing to the right of a pinnacle in 1898. The pinnacles were unique geological formations on the hill where the Wright brothers observed the flight of birds from 1897 to 1899*.
* from “A Field Guide to Flight on the Aviation Trial”.
What significance do the Pinnacles have in Aviation History?
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*The pinnacles were located on a bluff on the west bank of the Great Miami River overlooking the section of the river where Orville Wright tested Wright Company hydroplanes at the Wright Seaplane Base. Pinnacle Hill was a popular picnic spot west of the Great Miami River to the south of Dayton, easily accessible by bicycle from the brothers' West Side Dayton home. Ranging from 60 to 80 feet high, the pinnacles created updrafts that attracted buzzards and other birds, thus providing an ideal observation point for the Wrights to study the mechanism of flight as the birds soared in the strong winds. The Wrights developed their wing-warping theory for lateral control in the summer of 1899 after observing the buzzards at Pinnacle Hill twisting the tips of their wings as they soared into the wind so that the angle of attack of one wing was greater than that of the other. The brothers perfected their control system during a series of tests with man-carrying gliders of their design at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1900, 1901 and 1902.
* source: “A Field Guide to Flight on the Aviation Trial”.
What is there to see today?
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In September of 2024 the City of Moraine officially opened the Wright Brothers Pinnacles Hiking Trail. This 1.1 mile through trail is rated “easy” as it is suited for all ages and abilities. Along the trail, message boards with vintage photos taken by the Wright Brothers tell the story of this historic site. Along with the markers, Nature is around every turn. Look in the woods for white tailed deer, squirrels and a variety of birds. Try to identify the many different species of trees along the trail such as oak, maple, ash, beech, buckeye, elm, locust, pine and sycamore. The hiking trail will lead participants to the historic Pinnacles cliff area where in 1898 the Wright Brothers would come and picnic after church. Wilbur would lay and watch the buzzards soar on the cliff updrafts. It was at this location while observing the birds in flight that the Wrights came up with the wing warping idea for their future airplane.
More links:
See more information and photos at:
https://www.aviationtrailinc.org/post/wright-brothers-pinnacles-hiking-trail
See the Wright Brothers Hiking Trail flyer, with a map at:
https://www.ci.moraine.oh.us/pdf/Parks%20&%20Rec/Wright%20Bros%20Hiking%20Trail%20Flyer.pdf
also Moraine Parks and Recreation, 3800 Main Street Moraine, Ohio 45439 • moraineparkandrec.com
Brookville Community Museum
Spitler House - Warren Rasor Ballooning Exhibits
14 Market Street
Brookville, Ohio 45309
(937) 833-0285
The Brookville Community Museum, housed in the restored Samuel Spitler House at 14 Market Street, is a local history museum for the city of Brookville. The museum's exhibits include a display about Brookville native Warren Rasor, in his day one of the top five balloonists in the United States. Rasor was a local builder and craftsman and constructed the house for Samuel Spitler in 1894, originally located at 5 Hay Avenue.In the 1970’s the house had deteriorated and through a funding effort by local citizens was moved to its current location on Market Street where it was restored and opened to the public in 1976 as a museum. It has been placed on the National Register of Historical Places. The Warren Rasor display includes notebooks, newspaper clippings, photographs, posters, logs recording the details of Rasor's balloon flights and a three-foot square wicker balloon basket, one of three remaining from the total of seven once owned by Rasor. Rasor took up ballooning in 1909 at the age of 50. During his 15 years as a balloonist, Rasor made almost 100 flights, participated in many national balloon races and served as a balloon instructor in World War I. Rasor's son Herbert acted as his father's aide on many of the flights.
Brookville Historical Society • P.O. Box 82 • Brookville, OH 45309-0082 • Telephone (937) 833-0285
Email: General Inquiry: info@brookvillehistory.org
Website: https://brookvillehistory.org/cpage.php?pt=7
McCook Field - The Cradle of Aviation
1444 North Bend Blvd. between Helena St. and Deeds Park Drive, Dayton, Ohio 45404
(area now occupied by baseball fields)
Coordinates: 39°46'33"N 84°11'27"W
An Ohio Historical Marker commemorates the site of historic McCook Field. The airfield, was established by the U.S. Army Signal Corps Airplane Engineering Department in 1917. The research and innovation that took place at McCook was the beginning of the research, development and acquisition missions now at Wright-Patterson AFB. McCook engineers made significant accomplishments and contributions to the war effort in the field’s early years, and in the years after WWI. Many achievements in aeronautical testing and development took place there. Materials, fuels and lubricants, high altitude flight, aerial photography, propulsion, navigation, armament, lighter than air flight, parachute development, and aerodynamics were among the many areas advanced by McCook engineers and test pilots. It quickly outgrew the capacity of the field, which acknowledged its limited size with a large sign on a hangar that proclaimed, “This Field is Small—Use it All”.The field closed in 1927 and its missions were moved to the new Wright Field, now a part of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The area of McCook Field is now occupied by ball fields, but the marker remains as a reminder of the many achievements that took place here.
Links for McCook Field History & Photos:
https://www.aviationtrailinc.org/post/mccook-field-centennial
https://blogs.libraries.wright.edu/news/outofthebox/2014/05/13/mccook-field/
https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/mccook-field/
http://www.airfields-freeman.com/OH/Airfields_OH_SW.htm#mccook
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCook_Field
Troy Ohio’s “Pioneers of Aviation Statue Pavilion”
4134 N. Market St., Troy, Ohio 45373
Three large bronze statues stand in Troy’s “Pioneers of Aviation Statue Pavilion” celebrating two past and one present member of Troy’s rich aviation history. The pavilion, located at 134 N. Market St., Troy, Ohio, includes statues of Clayton Brukner, Robert Hartzell, and Nancy Currie-Gregg Ph.D., honoring them for their significant contribution to the area’s rich aviation history. The sculptures were designed by artist Mike Major of Urbana
For more about the sculptures and more photos see
https://www.aviationtrailinc.org/post/troy-ohio-s-pioneers-of-aviation-statue-pavilion
Wright Seaplane Base, Inc.
Represented by an Historical Marker located at the site of the "Wright Seaplane Base" at the bend of the Great Miami River in West Carrollton, Ohio off I-75 exit 47.
http://www.wrightseaplanebaseinc.org/
One of the least known aspects of the Wright Brothers’ research work was the development of a hydro-aeroplane. Wilbur died in 1912, but Orville and Co. continued to test several versions of a Wright seaplane. Starting with pontoons added to versions of the Wright "B" Flyer, the company went on to develop an entirely new seaplane with a hull like a boat - the Model "G" Aeroboat. The Aerobat had a solid hull or fuselage with an enclosed cockpit, twin pusher propellers, and the engine in the rear. The Aeroboat was 28 feet long, had a wingspan of 38 feet, and weighed 1,250 pounds. It was powered by a 60 horsepower engine and could attain a maximum speed of 60mph. The Model G "Aeroboat" was their most successful seaplane. Test flights took place between 1912 and 1914 on the “S” bends in the Great Miami River, south of Dayton, between two current cities of West Carrolton and Moraine, Ohio. A historical marker has been erected in West Carrollton at the Miami & Erie Canal Park in the area where these flights took place, the home of the Wright Seaplane Base. Orville flew the varied seaplanes in and out of the Miami River between Moraine and West Carrollton over 100 times.
Wright Seaplane Base, Inc.’s primary mission is preserving and sharing the Wright Brothers' philosophy of flight and Orville’s efforts that contributed to the development of Hydro-aeroplane technology. Wright Seaplane Base, Inc. is an educational non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2007 to preserve the memory of aviation activities contributed by Orville and Wilbur Wright. Wright Seaplane Base, Inc. is dedicated to recovering this lost piece of Americana in aviation history, the Wright Model "G" Aeroboat. Explore their website to for fascinating history, vintage photos, and an interesting blog, to learn more about Orville's contribution to hydro-aeroplane technology: http://www.wrightseaplanebaseinc.org/
City of Moraine Press Release, Sept. 2024:
The City of Moraine completed the final pieces of a mini-park area across from 3315 Main Street in Moraine that contains a 1/4 replica of the Wright Model G Aeroboat soaring atop a flagpole. Through funding by the Wright Seaplane Base Inc. Organization and the City of Moraine, historical signage, park benches and a concrete pad was installed by the Moraine Street Division and the Moraine Building Maintenance Department. An additional appreciation plaque is mounted on a large rock donated by Stony Hollow Landfill. The signage tells the story of the Model G and of Orville Wright’s over 100 aeroboat flights between 1912 and 1914 along the Miami River in Moraine and West Carrollton.
For more info & photos see the Aviation Trail blog post at:
https://www.aviationtrailinc.org/post/wright-brothers-aeroboat-replica
Orville Wright’s Laboratory
15 North Broadway in Dayton, Ohio 45402
A commemorative façade marks the spot.
Just a few hundred feet from West Third Street, at 15 North Broadway in Dayton, stands a solitary brick façade of a building. Mounted on a nearby utility pole is a sign with the Aviation Trail logo and the inscription “Orville Wright’s Laboratory Site”. After brother Wilbur’s death in 1912, Orville had sold his interest in The Wright Company in 1915 to concentrate on his research. The façade is a re-creation representing the original Wright Aeronautical Building that Orville Wright had built for his research and consulting activities in 1916.
The location is less than a block from the former site of the brothers’ Wright Cycle Shop where they designed and built the plane that made the first successful heavier than air powered flight. The one-story cement block, brick fronted building housed his office in the front, and a workshop in the back. The equipment included a wind tunnel now on display at NMUSAF.
See more at https://www.aviationtrailinc.org/post/orville-s-lab
Harmon Museum Armstrong Gallery of Flight
Warren County Historical Society
Address: 105 S. Broadway, Lebanon, OH 45036 Phone: 513-932-1817
https://www.wchsmuseum.org/armstronggallery.html
https://www.wchsmuseum.org/harmonmuseum.html
The museum is named for the Armstrong family, Neil and Jan Armstrong lived in Lebanon, Ohio longer than they lived anywhere.
They raised their two boys here. Harmon Museum's Armstrong Gallery of Flight houses a collection of rare aviation related artifacts including Orville Wright's top hat worn at the Wright Brothers' Homecoming Celebration in June of 1909. Also on display are items gifted from Neil Armstrong and artifacts relating to the incredible legacy of Ohio's Flying Farmers. Farmers nationwide accepted the airplane faster than they had the tractor, seeing it as a new farm implement necessary to farm operations. Landings strips began to appear on farms nationwide. Aided by the Flying Farmers Association, local farmers changed the face of Warren County. A large mural in the gallery portrays the contributions made to aviation and space by individuals from Warren County. Lebanon resident Clifford Harmon, a fourth cousin to the Wright Brothers, achieved several firsts in aviation, including being the first person to fly across Long Island Sound and the first aviator to carry a female passenger (his wife). In 1910, he became the sixth person in the United States to receive a pilot's license. In 1926, Clifford Harmon sponsored the Harmon Trophy for outstanding aviators, aviatrix, and aeronauts (balloons or dirigibles). In 1969, a category for astronauts was added. That year, Neil Armstrong received the prestigious award.
Watch for more Aviation Trail sites to be featured on this page.