117 years ago today...

Only 1.5 hours from here... I have a plan to go there and then Ocracoke for a weekend. Maybe this spring or summer when it is warmer.
 
RyanB said:
Me too. It’s on my list of places to visit.
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Many of the airplanes we are flying today including mine have fewer years between the Wright brother's flight and manufacture than they do from their manufacture to today. :hairraise:
 
DFH65 said:
Many of the airplanes we are flying today including mine have fewer years between the Wright brother's flight and manufacture than they do from their manufacture to today. :hairraise:
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Yeah, think about the difference in aircraft from the wright brothers to 1961 vs 1961 to today
 
I landed there just after they laid the asphalt runway the first time. No center stripe, no tie downs in the apron, but there was a phone booth.

First Motel I called had a WW 2 B24 pilot on the desk. He was full, but called around until he found us a room, then called me back. Trying to read a phone book with a flashlight, and dial in the dark was a challenge. 50+ years ago.

He was surprised that I had landed well after sunset with no runway lights, but the totally black runway stood out clearly with the tan sand and a full moon. I was impressed that he had often landed his B 24 on grass at night with just a row of oil flares, 100 meters apart, to mark the runway edges. The rest of the airfield was blacked out.
 
I invite anyone to Dayton in the Summer to checkout the Huffman Prairie Flying Field where the Wright’s actually did the bulk of their development flight testing. Lots of other sites including the National Museum of the Air Force and the original Wright Aero Factory that is being restored.

Unfortunately, Henry Ford absconded with actual Wright Cycle Shop where they built the plane and he moved it to Greenfield Village in Michigan.

My Home Drome I19 is the closest GA Airport but there many around Dayton.

Cheers
 
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Deelee said:
Makes me want to fly to FFA...
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RyanB said:
Me too. It’s on my list of places to visit.
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On my list for the 200th anniversary of powered flight. ;)

During the 100th anniversary year in '03 I made a point of travelling to D.C. and making my first trip to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on the Mall, specifically to see the original Flyer. And all the other amazing air and space craft there. :thumbsup:
 
Salty said:
Yeah, think about the difference in aircraft from the wright brothers to 1961 vs 1961 to today
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My 172 is 43 years old. If not “modern” in appearance, it at least looks just like a current-production model.

When my airplane was built, this is what a 43-year-old airplane looked like:

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GRG55 said:
During the 100th anniversary year in '03 I made a point of travelling to D.C. and making my first trip to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on the Mall, specifically to see the original Flyer. And all the other amazing air and space craft there.
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I feel really lucky to live about 30 minutes from DC (like 10 miles, but... traffic). Sometimes I take for granted all the amazing, free museums we have here. My daughter and I used to go down to the Air and Space, Natural History, American History... heck all of 'em... just on a whim on a nice day. Udvar Hazy is also about 40 minutes from us (again.... traffic!). Covid kinda messed that up a bit, but I think they are letting folks in on a timed basis. I need to get my kid and head back downtown for a day of seeing the sights.
 
Pilawt said:
My 172 is 43 years old. If not “modern” in appearance, it at least looks just like a current-production model.

When my airplane was built, this is what a 43-year-old airplane looked like:

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There are a lot of 60+ year old 172s. 60 years before they were built this is what the Wright Flyer looked like:

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