Aviation for Women is the flagship member publication of Women in Aviation International. Articles feature women who have made aviation history, professional development ideas, and current-topic articles.
Issue link: https://afwdigital.epubxp.com/i/619020
48 Aviation forWomen J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 The Aviation Writers Summit was hosted by NAHA repre- sentatives and specifcally designed to give me and 10 other aviation journalists insight into the work of the alliance and a taste of what the Dayton area has to offer aviation enthusiasts. NAHA is a private, not-for-proft designated by Congress as the man- agement entity of the National Avi- ation Heritage Area. Its mission to conserve, develop, and promote the historic resources of the area is exe- cuted by a volunteer board of trust- ees made up of individuals and liaisons from the National Park Service and other governmental organizations. During the summit we visited several aviation heritage sites including the National Museum of the United States Air Force (NMUSAF), where our tour guide shared details about the museum's most popular displays and strategies the cura- tors use to keep the exhibits interesting and informative. That night we heard from local leaders on the varied community and state efforts to promote Dayton's aviation history, particu- larly as it relates to Orville and Wilbur Wright. The next day we were divided into two groups—a restora- tion track and an archive track—for a full day of tours and learning. With a soft spot in my heart for the nuts and bolts of the things we fy, I chose the restoration track and was treat- ed to stops at the Champaign Aviation Museum, the WACO Air Museum, and the NMUSAF restoration hangar. We visit- ed with the crew of volunteers restoring the B-17 Champaign Lady and saw displays of early WACO aircraft as we learned of the company's origins and growth. And on a different scale, we got a look at the process of the NMUSAF to restore the B-17 Memphis Belle. Our colleagues on the archives track visited NMUSAF ar- chives and collections where they manage more than 135,000 items worldwide, and Wright State University to explore the extensive documents belonging to the Wright brothers. The two groups convened at Carillon Historical Park for a taste of Dayton's overall pioneer history and a look at the original 1905 Wright Flyer III. The highlight of the evening, however, was a reception at Hawthorne Hill, the home of Or- ville Wright. Networking with local aviation business owners and my colleagues was fantastic, but nothing beat walking around the home with Amanda Wright Lane, WAI 5757, and hearing her share stories of her great uncles and her family's memories of time in this home. The next morning the group re- ceived a driving tour of the Wright brothers historical sites in down- town Dayton, including the Wright Company factory—a building that has changed hands several times in the years since it housed the production of airplanes. The original buildings still stand and steps are being taken to fnish the purchase of the property and begin restoration of those spaces for a future public visitors center. NAHA has done a fantastic job preserving a variety of loca- tions in the area already, including one of the brothers' cycle shops as part of the Wright Cycle Company complex, which also includes the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center. It seems no aviation trip to Dayton would be complete with- out a visit to Huffman Prairie to see the 84-acre prairie where the Wright brothers did much of their fight testing and train- ing. After all we had seen and learned about the brothers dur- ing our time in Dayton, it was incredible to stand in this open feld and imagine what it was like to fy the frst airplanes as pure experiments. Before we left Dayton there was one more important stop on our list. We returned to NMUSAF to visit the newest han- gar and see the very frst airplane brought over for display in the area, the X-15. Joe Engle, former astronaut and one of the 12 men to fly this plane, was on hand to answer questions and share his memories of the historic research fights. It was an incredible trip, and one that did not disappoint in terms of showcasing the proud aviation heritage of the Day- ton area. It is clear NAHA is on to something and doing good work to preserve the important history that gave birth to the industry we continue to grow today. ✈ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kelly Nelson, WAI 18201, is editor-in-chief of Aviation for Women magazine and a private pilot. H istory has always been interesting to me, and as a journalist I have a curious and studious nature. I don't know everything, but I do know where to look for the answer. For all of those reasons, it was an easy choice to accept an invitation from the National Aviation Heritage Alliance (NAHA) to come to Dayton, Ohio, and learn more about the rich aviation history in September 2015. HISTORIC AL IMMERSION I N O U R O W N W O R D S I N O U R O W N W O R D S K E L L Y N E L S O N No aviation trip to Dayton would be complete without a visit to Huffman Prairie.