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The book penned by travel writer Bill Clevlen is part of the series “100 Things to Do Before You Die.”
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Huffman Prairie is 85th on the list that also includes riding along Newfound Gap Road in the Smoky Mountains, visiting the Louisiana State Capitol Building in Baton Rouge, visiting the Covered Bridge in Madison County, Iowa; visiting the Alamo, and seeing the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign.
>> 3 things you have to see at Dayton's aviation park
Below is the expert about Huffman Prairie from the book:
Credit: Chris Stewart
Credit: Chris Stewart
This stop requires a bit of imagination, but it's definitely an important place in American history. Huffman Prairie Field is where the Wright Brothers mastered the art of flying. It's hard to imagine a world without airplanes, and it was in this open field (or above it) that the marvel of flight took shape. Natives of Dayton, Ohio, Wilbur and Orville Wright used the land that now sits next to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to design the world's first "practical airplane."
The Wright Flyer II made its first turn and circle in the air above the field here in 1904. In that first year, there were 105 flights totaling forty-five minutes in the air. By 1910, Huffman Prairie Field was used for a flying school. The Wright Brothers would use the property until 1916. Besides the field, be sure to visit the other Wright Brothers historic sites in Dayton.
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