Birthplace of Aviation: Dayton, Ohio
A modest sized city in the middle of corn country would eventually become the birthplace of aviation. While Kittyhawk, NC is where the Wright Brothers first took flight, it is in Dayton that aviation really took off. Today, the city is well enriched in aviation culture and there are many activities that will allow you to soar to new heights in your quest to conquer the skies.
As you will soon discover in this article, opportunities abound showcasing airshows, historical avenues, rocket launches, and even skydiving. Let's jump right in!
National Museum of the United States Air Force
Quite possibly the coolest feature in the entire city is the National Museum of the USAF. It contains more planes, rockets, and other aerospace vehicles combined than anywhere else in the world. More than 350 to be exact along with tons of other aviation memorabilia! You literally could spend days here.
The museum first opened in 1923 and has been showing off man's dream of flight ever since. From the infancy of aerospace to the modern era, they have you covered with the full evolution of aviation. It also has an Imax theater, food court, and gift shop.
How to Get There
Photo credit: nationalmuseum.af.mil
The museum is located right next to Wright-Patt Air Force Base just east of Dayton. A pin can be found here https://maps.app.goo.gl/dHLncdTW3u6PL8az6
The parking lot is massive, but so are the crowds. Be prepared for a walk if everyone else decided today is a good day as well. You will walk by many memorials honoring the great men and women of the US Armed Forces who served our country in aviation in any capacity.
Thankfully, this world class facility is free so don't be shy visiting often!
It's All About the Planes
Start your visit at the Early Years exhibit. Here, fragile airplane designs fabricated out of wood, cloth, wooden skids, and bicycle tires make you appreciate that we're not in the good old days anymore. Safety wasn't at the forefront as you'll notice.
Photo credit: nationalmuseum.af.mil
Many small scale models, wind tunnels, and photos show visitors the very humble beginnings of what would later become a very technologically advanced industry.
You will then transition into the war machines of World War 1. With aviation making forward progress for over a decade now, better materials, larger engines, and more sophisticated designs are starting to be implemented along with the addition of guns. Still, wartime aircraft were in the stone ages so planes such as bombers utilized crew members to hand drop bombs over the side of the plane.
Photo credit: nationalmuseum.af.mil
The time between World War 1 and World War 2 saw significant advances in technology with the use of aluminum throughout the plane and powerful radial engines. Enclosed cockpits were just coming out in some of the models. The 1930s were a time when air racing became popular and I can only assume those planes helped drive the industry further in the war arena as you'll see in the next hanger which showcases WW2 aircraft.
Photo credit: nationalmuseum.af.mil
At the time of World War 2, aviation had been around for about 30 decades and it's crazy to see just how far things had come in that amount of time. All aircraft in this era were engineered for speed and excelled in maneuverability compared to their earlier counterparts. Retractable landing gear became the norm and all pilots were equipped with bailout systems. This was still before the ejection seat was invented so in the event of an emergency, the pilot had to manually open the glass canopy, jump out, and pull his parachute.
The museum has so many historical aircraft sitting wing to wing.
One of the biggest standouts is Boxcar. This is the B-29 Superfortress that dropped the second atomic bomb of the war on the city of Nagasaki ultimately forcing Japan to surrender.
Upon exiting this hanger, you will go to the next hanger which starts off with Korean War era aircraft. During this time many of the military planes had the classic super shiny aluminum look. Jet engines were beginning to be more commonplace, but propeller birds were still very much used, especially in training aircraft. Ejection seats were just coming onto the scene around this period as well. You will also notice that several enemy aircraft are sprinkled throughout the various exhibits.
The transition from the Korean War to Vietnam aircraft changed appearance wise with sleeker, lower drag designs. The internal components changed drastically too as the jet engines were perfected enough to allow fighter jets the ability to fly significantly faster than the speed of sound and radar advancements were implemented.
And then you enter the modern era which starts around the Gulf War up until today. Easily recognizable planes such as the B-2, B-52, F-22, F-16, A-10, several drones including the Global Hawk, and many others will delight aerospace fans.
At this point, you have covered over 100 years of aviation from simple wood and cloth designs to modern day composite airplanes. The true historical timeline is laid out in front of your eyes to see just how far we've come in a relatively short span of time. This should be more than enough for one museum to present, but no, it doesn't stop there!
5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and Liftoff
The National Museum of the USAF continues to exceed expectations by exhibiting many missiles, rockets, satellites, and even a replica space shuttle. Of all the museums in the country, this one should have been a top contender to receive a real space shuttle, but sadly that did not happen. Used lifting bodies and even returned capsules from Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions are here for the public to enjoy.
Experimental and Presidential Aircraft
Last, but certainly not least is one of my favorite areas of the entire museum. To start, visitors are treated to several older iterations of Air Force 1 from former presidencies. You can even walk through these.
On the other side is the experimental aircraft that NASA and the USAF used, largely in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, to test new ways of pushing the envelope with breakthroughs in aerospace technology. Planes such as the Bell X1B (first plane to exceed mach 2 and also flown by Chuck Yeager), X-15, X-37B, and many other fascinating planes are all here under one roof.
Dayton Airshow
This spectacle of the air just celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. In recent years the event has drawn an average of 70,000 to 80,000 people over 2 days as spectators turn their eyes to the skies to watch an aerial ballet of numerous performers. From daring acts of aerobatics, to the silent flight of parachuting acts, to thunderous fighter jets, the Dayton airshow has dazzled the locals for decades.
How to Get There
The airshow takes place at the Dayton International Airport in Vandalia, OH and usually occurs towards the end of June.
A pin can be found here https://maps.app.goo.gl/DNHDirjNV44aW16t7
Admission is based off a tiered system which increases the closer to the event you get. In 2024 it started around $20 per adult and topped out at $35. Gate prices are more and usually you can buy discounted tickets at a local Cincinnati or Dayton Kroger. These prices include parking which is directly across from the entrance (a bit of a walk).
Look at Those Magnificent Flying Machines
It is a good, solid show worthy of attending at least once. An action packed afternoon with more than a dozen acts or so climaxes with a headliner team which typically is either the USAF Thunderbirds or the USN Blue Angels. The US Army Golden Knights are a staple as well. Beyond that, world famous pilots including Sean D. Tucker, Patty Wagstaff, Kirby Chambliss, and many others have shown off their skills in extreme aerobatics. On the warbird front, you can expect to see anything from P-51s and P-38s to the B-24 and British Spitfire. The World's Greatest Air Force will prove it's air superiority with acts from aircraft such as the F-15 and the ear crunching afterburner crowd pleaser, the F-22.
The ground show will give the audience an interactive experience with static displays, much of which you can take a tour inside of such as the C-17, C-130, and FEDEX MD-11, and many more.
I have been fortunate enough to have attended this event on several occasions since childhood. The pinnacle show for me was when my dad brought my brothers, and me to the 2003, 100th anniversary of flight edition. They truly outdid themselves with a massive 9 1/2 hour show absolutely jam packed with acts including the Thunderbirds, Blue Angels, Canadian Snowbirds, wall of fire (at the time it was the world record longest wall of fire), harrier, demonstrations from all eras, WW1 to modern, and so much more. Even John Travolta flew his Boeing 707 as an act. It was an unforgettable show which will likely always rank as my favorite. Thanks, Dad! This was before I owned a camera so nothing to see here!
DOGS Airshow
DOGS stands for the Dayton Ohio Giant Scalers and this show is about giant scale radio controlled model aircraft. The event is more or less defunct however, they are trying to revive it so don't fully discount it yet. That is why I'm sharing it. Back when it was running regularly, it took place every other year on odd years, however, it has not taken place since 2019. The organizers have attempted to bring it back from the dead in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, but it's met various complications. We can only hope...
How to Get There
DOGS takes place at an out of commision airstrip adjacent to the National Museum of the USAF on Labor Day weekend.
A pin can be found here https://maps.app.goo.gl/ooEqm5emXTsxTJGu7
Admission is free!
The World of Model Aviation
In the radio control hobby, pilots have the unique challenge of controlling an aircraft they are not in. They must remember that everything is backwards when the plane is flying towards them and then normal orientation when flying away. At DOGS, these giant scale planes are usually a minimum of 25% scale and I've seen as large as over 50% scale. They are massive models costing thousands of dollars. The pilots must be completely in tune with their bird and generally speaking at this level, they have mastered their hobby. It's really cool watching model jets rush past at 200 mph, helicopters performing aerobatics that seemingly defy the laws of physics, and 3D pilots pushing their models with unreal maneuvers and precision. There's nothing like watching a 40% scale Edge 540 hover one foot off the ground, tail touch the runway, and then pull out into a snap roll. These guys are good.
If this event takes place again, it's well worth the stop! You can keep track of things on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/p/DOGSAirShow-100035392916133/
Attend a Rocket Launch
Ohio has produced many astronauts. In fact, it's one of the leading states so it should be no surprise that the world of model rocketry is strong here. Even Neil Armstrong grew up just an hour north of Dayton.
While most people are familiar with the small Estes rockets flying on A-D motors to a modest height, that's only scratching the surface in the hobby. For those who dare to see what's possible and have a wallet thick enough to support it, the sky really is the limit. Low power (A-D) gives way to mid power (E-G) which then climbs to high power rocketry (H and above). In the world of high power rocketry, large fields and FAA waivers are required and Ohio is perfect for this. Residing just east of Dayton around South Charleston, OH are 2 rocketry clubs. They are both free to attend and spectators are always welcome! Kids and low power rockets are free to launch as well. If you decide to get certified and enter into high power rocketry, launch fees will be due.
Also, both generally have at least one vendor onsite to provide anything rocketry related you might need.
Wright Stuff Rocketeers (WSR)
This club is NAR (National Association of Rocketry) sanctioned and has several fields they fly in throughout the year. High power rockets are restricted to October - April timeframe due to the farm they fly in having crops in the warmer months, but low to mid power can be flown year round at their other fields. WSR also puts on build and fly events for children in the local Dayton area.
For more information as well as addresses to all of their launch sites, check out their website here https://www.nar.org/site/section703/
Tripoli Mid Ohio
This club is Tripoli sanctioned, but does accept NAR certifications. They only have one launch site and due to them focusing more on the high power side of things, they only fly in the late fall to early spring as well. The field is capable of handling up to O motors and has a waiver of 17,000 feet MSL offering the ability for some serious projects.
Their website can be found here http://www.tripolimidohio31.com/
I am personally L2 certified and have flown up to L motors to just under 10,000 feet. Both of these clubs provide a fun atmosphere and I've known several of the members for as long as nearly 20 years. You don't have to own any rockets or feel pressured to fly. Once again, spectators are not only welcomed, but encouraged. Watching a project that you or someone else built in their basement and liftoff on a column of fire and smoke is a very cool experience.
Start Skydiving
There is nothing like jumping out of an airplane, flying your body through the air with friends, and then float effortlessly down to earth under canopy. I might be biased, but after doing so nearly 800 times, it never gets old. Start Skydiving is where my journey began when I made my first tandem jump in 2008, got hooked, and decided to pursue my license in 2009.
Start is ranked one of the top dropzones in the country and I have to agree that their facilities, aircraft, instructors, and safety focus are some of the best out there. The scenery from 13,000 feet isn't too bad either with the Great Miami River meandering along the airport.
How to Get There
Located at the Middletown Regional Airport, also known as Hook Field in Middletown, OH, this isn't quite Dayton, however, it is the closest USPA sanctioned dropzone and only 30 minutes from the downtown metro area.
A pin can be found here https://maps.app.goo.gl/HP7uZem7v7BYS9dk6
Basic pricing for tandem skydiving is $240 and $260 for weekday and weekend respectively.
For licensed jumpers, lift tickets are $28 on weekdays and $31 on weekends.
Full details can be obtained on their website https://startskydiving.com/
Why Choose Start Skydiving?
Aircraft: Both a caravan and grand caravan are the workhorses of this DZ providing relatively quick lifts to 13,000 feet. They also have a Cessna 206, but it's generally reserved for Team Fastrax who perform demos around the country.
Facilities: A huge hanger with more than 23,000 sq/ft has plenty of space for packing and waiting for your next jump. Several TVs allow for quick debriefing afterwards and there are some games to play if you're grounded due to weather or long wait times.
An on-site rigger is available as well as rental gear if you need it.
Last, but certainly not least, Start has recently built a high ropes course known as The Sky Trail and a rock climbing wall. Both are great options for those family members who prefer to stay closer to terra firma, but still like a little excitement in their lives.
Safety: Safety is paramount at Start Skydiving. Aircraft are regularly maintenanced per FAA guidelines, top notch student equipment is used, and all instructors have many jumps under their belt (think thousands each)
Just Do It
The first step is a long one, but after that, you'll realize the freedom of human flight. Life outside of the plane is certainly more exciting than inside the cockpit. I guess we should say thanks to the Wright Brothers for persevering in inventing aircraft and so we can have a blast in the sky.
Conclusion
That about does it for this article. I had initially planned on including the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park which totally fits here, however, I realized I've written so much already that it will have to be included in a future feature.
Dayton, OH is rich in aerospace culture and has endless opportunities to plan an adventure. If you are a true aviation enthusiast, this area is worthy of a few days of exploring.
As always, B.E. Adventurous!