Dayton in Greene County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Follow the Flight Path

Huﬀman Prairie Flying Field

—Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park —

Follow the Flight Path Marker image. Click for full size.

By Don Morfe, July 19, 2013

1. Follow the Flight Path Marker

Inscription. The trail you see ahead curving gently to the right retraces the way Wilbur and Orville Wright flew here in 1904-1905. Look for seven tail flag poles that mark the corners of the pasture. The brothers tried their best to fly only inside this field, because they respected property boundaries. It was hard enough to drag their 700-pound flying machine back to the launch rails without having to negotiate fences. Remember, their flyers had no wheels.

On the first of three trials we found that we had started a circle on too large a radius to keep within the boundaries of the small field in which we were operating. Accordingly, a landing was made each time, without accident, merely to avoid passing beyond the boundaries of the field.
Wilbur Wright

Walking the Flight Path…
takes 30 minutes to get back to the main parking areas near Simms Station.

The path is regularly mowed, but not hard-surfaced. Wheelchair users should budget more time.

Erected by National Park Service.

Location. 39° 48.267′ N, 84° 3.667′ W. Marker is in Dayton, Ohio, in Greene County. Marker is on Pylon Road north of Springfield Street. Touch for map. Marker located in the south-western

By Don Morfe, July 19, 2013

2. Follow the Flight Path Marker

section of the "Wright - Patterson Air Force Base". Marker is in this post office area: Dayton OH 45433, United States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. A Starting Device (within shouting distance of this marker); They Had Done It! (within shouting distance of this marker); Miss that Tree! (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Trials in an Old Swamp (approx. 0.2 miles away); Flying Field to Air Force Base (approx. 0.2 miles away); The First Airport (approx. 0.2 miles away); Huffman Prairie Flying Field (approx. ¼ mile away); Mormon Migration, Kirkland Camp / Facts About Kirkland Camp (approx. 1.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dayton.

Categories. • Air & Space •

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on August 13, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 291 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 13, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Al Wolf was the editor who published this page.