Three of the Aviation Trail sites are featured this month -
• Carillon Historical Park - Site #4
•Museum of the United States Air Force - Site #5
• Sinclair National UAS Training and Certification Center - Site #17
These sites are within an eight mile radius of downtown Dayton, requiring minimum travel in unpredictable winter weather. With the government shutdown affecting the National Park Service operated sites (such as the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center/Aviation Trail Visitor Center, and the Huffman Prairie Interpretive Center) these are some other close-by indoor sites to visit.
Site # 4: Carillon Historical Park
1000 Carillon Historical Park, Dayton, OH 45409, (937) 293-2841, www.daytonhistory.org
Among the attractions at this unique, 65-acre outdoor museum is the original 1905 Wright Flyer III, the world's first practical airplane. The Flyer III, housed in Wright Hall, was restored under the personal direction of Orville Wright. Wright Hall is flanked by the Wilbur and Orville Wright Wings and is connected to a replica of the bicycle shop in which the Wright brothers built their 1903 airplane. These buildings comprise the John W. Berry, Sr. Wright Brothers National Museum at Carillon Historical Park, a unit of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, managed by Dayton History. (Since this is operated by Dayton History, it is not affected by a shutdown). There is an admission charge for this site.
(Carillon Historical Park also operates tours by reservation to nearby Hawthorn Hill, site #7. See the Trail Sites page on this website for more on Hawthorne Hill).
Site # 5: Museum of the United States Air Force
1100 Spaatz St, Dayton, OH 45431, (937) 255-3286, www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
The world's largest military aviation museum features more than 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles from the beginnings of military flight to today's stealth technology. Thousands of personal artifacts, photographs and documents further highlight the people and events that comprise the Air Force storyline. Tour the 19 acres of indoor exhibit space and see noteworthy aircraft such as the only permanent public exhibit of a B-2 stealth bomber, and the B-17F Memphis Belle™, one of the most recognizable symbols of World War II, and board the space shuttle exhibit and four of nine presidential aircraft. While at the museum you can ride a flight simulator, enjoy a 3D movie, eat in one of the two cafés, and shop in the museum store. Open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily. Free admission and free parking.
(Also located within the museum is the National Aviation Hall of Fame, site #6. See the Trail Sites page on this website for more on the Aviation Hall of Fame).
Site # 17: Sinclair National UAS Training and Certification Center
Sinclair College • 444 West Third Street • Dayton, Ohio 45402 • (927) 512-4900 •uascenter@sinclair.edu
This is the newest site on the Aviation Trail. Located on the Sinclair College Dayton Campus in Building 13, the Sinclair National UAS Training and Certification Center and Aviation Technology facilities lead the nation in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and traditional aviation training and education, applied research and development, consulting, and STEM outreach. The site’s Wilbear stamp and additional information about the facility and programs are available at a kiosk located in the first-floor lobby and free parking is available in Lot K off Perry Street. Visitors can complete a self-guided tour of the glass-walled facility during normal college hours, which are posted on the primary college website at www.sinclair.edu.
All of these sites are on the “Wilbear Wright” tour. Sites #4 and #5 are both starting points on the tour, where visitors can receive a passport brochure. Visitors receiving a stamp in the passport brochure at a total of eight of the qualifying sites can qualify to receive a Wilbear Wright aviator teddy bear. (The Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center is a required site to qualify – so that would only be available when the National Park Service re-opens). See the Trail Sites page on this website for full details on the “Wilbear Program”.
More Aviation Trail sites will be featured in coming months on the Aviation Blog.