The Wright Seaplane Base
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Wright Model G "Aeroboat"
The Wright Seaplane Base
After Wilbur Wright died in 1912, Orville Wright continued to develop and fly airplanes for the Wright Company. Orville flew seaplanes along this part of the Great Miami River from 1913 to 1914. This area had three advantages; deep water formed by a hydraulic dam, freedom from man-made obstructions, and a 90 degree bend in the river that allow him to take off and land either north-south or or east-west depending on prevailing winds. In June and July 1913, Orville made more than 100 flights, frequently with passengers, in the Wright Model C-H "hydroplane". In 1913 and 1914, Orville and Wright Co. chief engineer Grover Loening developed the Wright Model C "aeroboat".
Wright Model G "Aeroboat"
The Wright Model G "Aeroboat" had a solid hull or fuselage with enclosed cockpit. The aircraft was 28 feet long, had a wingspan of 38 feet, and weighed approximately 1250 pounds. Powered by two rear-mounted engines and propelled by twin pusher propellers, the Model G's maximum speed was 60 miles per hour. It's believed that Orville's last flight in the Model G was on August 20, 1914. On that day, Orville, accompanied by student pilot and Navy Lieutenant Kenneth Whiting, narrowly escaped drowning when a wing broke on their aircraft and the plane fell into the Miami River from an altitude of 30 feet.
Erected 2010 by The Wright Seaplane Base, Inc. The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 17-57.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list.
Location. 39° 40.826′ N, 84° 13.963′ W. Marker is near West Carrollton, Ohio, in Montgomery County. It is on Marina Drive 0.2
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Dayton Metro and in the Miami Valley. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Veterans of Foreign Wars Hammond Memorial Post 3438 (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Veterans of Foreign Wars Veterans Memorial (about 500 feet away); Vietnam Veterans Memorial (about 500 feet away); The Miami-Erie Canal (about 500 feet away); Wright Model G Seaplane (approx. 0.2 miles away); Woody's Market (approx. half a mile away); Moraine Veterans Memorial
Another marker is no longer nearby. Wright Seaplane Base (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Credits. This page was last revised on April 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 17, 2017, by Michael Baker of Lima, Ohio. This page has been viewed 947 times since then and 66 times this year. Last updated on April 27, 2021, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 17, 2017, by Michael Baker of Lima, Ohio. 4. submitted on March 28, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
