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National Aviation Heritage Alliance

Dayton Praised For Historical Preservation Work

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NAHA Chair Frank Winslow, Stephanie Toothman, NAHA Executive Director Tony Sculimbrene, NAHA Trustee Amanda Wright Lane

Two days before the National Park Service celebrates its centennial anniversary, a senior NPS official visited Dayton to praise the historical preservation work in the National Aviation Heritage Area.

“I am inspired by all you are doing to preserve our aviation story and sharing these special places with the children growing up here and the many visitors that help support your local economy,” Dr. Stephanie Toothman, NPS associate director for cultural resources, partnerships and science in Washington, D.C., said Tuesday, Aug. 23.

Toothman was the keynote speaker for the 11th annual meeting of the National Aviation Heritage Alliance (NAHA). NAHA is a nonprofit designated by Congress to manage the eight-county heritage area.

As it approaches its second century—the agency turns 100 on Aug. 25—the NPS is looking for ways to engage citizens and inspire future stewards of America’s natural and historical treasures. Toothman said National Heritage Areas “are one of the best ways that the National Park Service can reach new audiences and engage them where they live, work, and play.”

The National Aviation Heritage Area is one of 49 National Heritage Areas in the country. Toothman said the NPS sees them as “invaluable partners that are working to build on the linkages between our natural and cultural heritage” through community partnerships.

Here, one such partnership is aimed at preserving and restoring the Wright Company factory—the first American airplane factory—erected in 1910 by Wilbur and Orville Wright. NAHA is working with the NPS and others to make the factory a unit of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. It’s raised about $2 million in public and private money toward a $4 million goal to acquire, preserve and begin redeveloping the 54-acre site that includes the factory.

Toothman recognized several non-federal partners involved in the effort, including the State of Ohio, the City of Dayton, property owner Home Avenue Redevelopment LLC and the Dayton Metro Library, which has committed to build a new, $10 million branch library on the site. The Dayton Foundation also has been a significant supporter.

“This would not be possible without all of the partners here working with the National Aviation Heritage Area,” Toothman said.

Toothman, whose job includes being keeper of the National Register of Historic Places, noted the heritage area is exceptionally rich in historic sites.

“I was impressed to learn that 365 sites in the National Aviation Heritage Area are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and that you care for the only plane to earn the title of National Historic Landmark—the 1905 Wright Flyer III,” she said.

Wilbur and Orville Wright considered their 1905 airplane the world’s first practical flying machine. On display in Dayton History’s Carillon Historical Park, the flyer is one of five National Historic Landmarks within the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.

Toothman spoke in the auditorium of historic Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum, a NAHA partner, which hosted NAHA’s annual meeting. Woodland, one of America’s first garden cemeteries, is celebrating its 175th anniversary this year.

Wright “B” Flyer Inc. Launches Replacement Project

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Wright B Flyer approaches columbus re-enacting first cargo flightWright “B” Flyer Inc., an all-volunteer organization that flies a lookalike of the Wright brothers’ first production airplane, has launched a project to replace its venerable flying machine.
The not-for-profit organization has been flying Wright “B” Flyer No. 1, also known as the “Brown Bird” or “Iron Bird,” since 1982. The one-of-a-kind airplane resembles a 1911 Wright Model B airplane, but its design meets modern airworthiness standards, and it’s built from modern parts and materials.
The airplane has made flybys of the Rose Bowl and the Statue of Liberty and has been on display in Berlin. Numerous aviation pioneers and dignitaries have flown on the airplane, including the late Apollo astronaut Neil Armstrong. It’s a familiar sight in local skies at the Vectren Dayton Air Show and other community events.
The Brown Bird has been flying for a generation, thanks to regular maintenance and periodic upgrades. “We’re thinking ahead to the next generation,” said Jay Jabour, Wright “B” Flyer president and acting chair. “Eventually we will need to replace the Brown Bird with a new airplane. To ensure continuity of our mission in future years, we’re beginning the replacement process now.”
The new airplane project begins as Wright “B” Flyer’s heritage partners, the National Aviation Heritage Alliance, the National Park Service and others are working to restore the original Wright Company factory buildings in Dayton. The factory was the first in America built for the purpose of producing airplanes, and its first product was the Wright Model B.
Wright “B” Flyer is developing a fundraising plan for financial and in-kind donations. The project already has received a substantial donation by an individual. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.
About Wright “B” Flyer Inc.25th anniversary of the Wright "B" Flyer lookallike's first flight.
Wright “B” Flyer Inc. is an all-volunteer, 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit corporation that promotes Dayton’s aviation heritage by flying and displaying lookalikes of Wright Model B airplanes. It is based on Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport in Ohio, where its hangar-museum is open to the public at no charge from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Please visit www.wright-b-flyer.org for more information.