Bill Signed into Law at the Wright Brothers National Museum in Dayton

On June 13, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed a bill to make the Wright Flyer III the state’s official airplane. He was joined by the Wright’s great-grandnephew, bill sponsors, and Wright Brothers National Museum staff.

"The 1905 Wright Flyer III is a prime example of why Ohio is considered the heart of innovation," said Governor DeWine. "Making the Wright Flyer III the official state airplane is a great way to honor Ohio's aviation heritage."

The Wright Flyer III was the first fully controllable, practical airplane. It was the brothers’ third creation and took flight for the first time on October 5, 1905. Wilbur flew it at Huffman Prairie for 39 minutes and 24 seconds, covering 24 miles - longer than all of the Wrights’ previous flights combined.

The aircraft shared several design and performance characteristics with the older two planes, though it had a new airframe, an upgraded engine, and significantly larger control surfaces due to previous stability issues.

Only one Wright Flyer III was built, and it remains the only airplane to be designated a National Historic Landmark. After sitting in storage for years, it was restored between 1947 and 1950 under Orville Wright’s supervision. Today, it is on display at the Wright Brothers Aviation Center in Dayton’s Carillon Historical Park.

The Wright Brothers were just the beginning of an impressively long list of aviation accomplishments to take shape in Ohio. Just over a century after the first pilots took flight there, the state has transitioned into a major hub for electric aircraft innovation.

“Now, the future of aviation is in Ohio with Joby Aviation’s electric aircraft factory construction in Dayton, Beta Aviation’s Alia electric aircraft stopping through Ohio on cross-country flights, and Anduril investing $ 1 billion in autonomous military aircraft production right here in Ohio,” noted State Representative Bernie Willis.

FMI: https://ohiosenate.gov