DAYTON, Ohio – The 2016 WWI Dawn Patrol Rendezvous will not only allow visitors to see great flying action from the early years of aviation, but also includes many other attractions and free interactive educational programs that provide a hands-on experience for the entire family, Oct. 1-2 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
Along with the full-scale aircraft, the event includes period re-enactors in a war encampment setting; era automobiles on display and participating in a parade, flying exhibitions by WWI radio-controlled aircraft; guest speakers, a collector’s show for WWI items, and merchandise for sale.
Fourteen presentations from WWI authors will take place on the hour throughout the weekend beginning with “Germany’s Secret Air Weapons of 1919,” by Dick Bennett on Saturday at 10 a.m., and ending with “Australian Flying Corps” by Colin Owers on Sunday at 4 p.m.
Also on Saturday, a special painting depicting a combat scene of WWI pilot Lt. Charles d’Olive, titled “The Last Ace,” will be unveiled at 11 a.m. by Air Force Global Strike Command’s Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Brig. Gen. Vito Addabbo; daughter of Lt. Charles d’Olive, Susan Mozena; artist SMSgt. Darby Perrin; and 307 Bomb Wing Vice Commander, Col. James L. Morriss III. The painting will be on exhibit during the event and later moved to the Pentagon for display. In addition, a limited number of lithographs of the painting signed by the artist will be available free of charge.
Popular hands-on educational activities will return, such as Buckeye Gamers in Flight's WWI giant board game, "Wings of Glory," which provides participants with a better understanding of the war in Europe and the number of countries involved, and Aces Over Wright Field’s aircraft computer simulators for those who want the experience of flying a WWI aircraft.
Food trucks will also be available from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. each day from El Meson, Hunger Paynes, Courtland's Mobile Grill, Mohawk Freestyle, Kona Ice and Cumberland Kettle Corn. (Federal endorsement is not implied.)
Gates will be open each day from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission and parking are free. Visitors may reach the event site by coming through the “Spinning Road Gate,” located at the intersection of Airway and Spinning Roads (Joe Greene Way), or driving through the main museum gate on Springfield Street and following the signs that lead to the event area. Portions of the event are weather dependent. Please visit the museum’s website at www.nationalmuseum.af.mil for the latest updates.
The 2016 WWI Dawn Patrol Rendezvous will be the tenth event offered by the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force and the Great War Aeroplanes Association. The last WWI Dawn Patrol Rendezvous took place in the fall of 2014.
In addition to the flying event, the museum has launched a WWI anniversary page on its website. Through 2018, a WWI-related artifact will be featured, along with links to other online resources. Visit http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Collections/FeaturedAccessions.aspx to learn more. The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, is the world’s largest military aviation museum. With free admission and parking, the museum features more than 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles and thousands of artifacts amid more than 17 acres of indoor exhibit space. Each year about one million visitors from around the world come to the museum. For more information, visit www.nationalmuseum.af.mil.
For more information, contact the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at (937) 255-3286.