Aviation Trail to Celebrate 121st Anniversary of Powered Flight

Dec 5, 2024

SPECIAL OPEN HOUSE - Tuesday Dec. 17, 2024

SPONSORED BY AVIATION TRAIL, INC. • HOSTED BY HEAVIER THAN AIR BREWING CO.

Location: 497 Miamisburg Centerville Rd, Dayton, OH 45459 (Normandy Square Shopping Center)

Partner hosts: Aviation Trail Inc (ATI) • National Park Service (NPS) • National Aviation Heritage Area (NAHA)

Facility host: Heavier Than Air Brewing Co (HTAB): CLICK HERE for HTAB facebook event announcement.

The celebration event will be an Interactive gathering to celebrate anniversary of the Wright Brothers first flight of 1903. The food and beverage event will include programming and historic static information with informative presentations by National Park Service personnel from the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, plus possible appearances by special guests.

Open House is from 4 PM to 9 PM. The planned agenda is as follows:

4:00 PM - DOORS OPEN • table displays in place

5: 30 PM - ·food served (until out)

6:30 PM - presentation by National Park Service staff & potential special guests (tbd)

7:00 PM - static table displays on view

9:00 PM - Heavier Than Air Brewery closes

Topics presented by the National Park Service may include:

• Wright "menu: facts from December 1903

• Cycling and Flight

• The Wright brothers "Teetotaling" and a non-alcoholic toast

• Local Wright Heritage sites (Wright-Dunbar, Cycle Shop, Huffman Prairie, Wright Factory, etc.

• Upcoming Events

Cash Bar - Drinks are sold separately • Wine • Beer • Pre-mixed Cocktails

There is no cover charge, but donations are welcome.

Donations can be made at the event. Suggested donation is $5 per person

On December 17, 1903, at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright achieved a monumental milestone in human history: the first powered flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft. After years of meticulous research in their bicycle shops in Dayton, Ohio and experimentation with gliders on the North Carolina Outer Banks, the brothers had produced the Wright Flyer, a biplane powered by a 12-horsepower engine of their own design. Orville was the first to take flight on that brisk morning, with winds gusting over 20 miles per hour, soaring for a mere 12 seconds and covering 120 feet. This brief ascent marked the dawn of a new era in aviation, proving that controlled, sustained flight was indeed possible. The Wright brothers completed three additional flights that day, with Wilbur achieving the longest distance of 852 feet in 59 seconds. This day laid the foundation for future advancements in aviation, transforming humanity's relationship with the skies. The Wright Flyer would never fly again after being damaged by strong winds shortly after its final flight, but its legacy as the first powered aircraft endures as a symbol of innovation and perseverance.