NAHA Supports Air Show With Educational Activities

The all-volunteer Wright “B” Flyer Inc. will bring aviation history to life June 28-29 at the Vectren Dayton Air Show Presented by Kroger.

The nonprofit organization flies a one-of-a-kind, modern lookalike of a Wright Model B airplane (pictured)produced by the Wright Company in Dayton beginning in 1910. The lookalike is based on a modified 1911 Model B now on display in the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
 
Built to modern airworthiness standards, the airplane is designed to look like an original Wright Model B to spectators in an air show crowd, reflecting the heritage of the city where the Wright brothers invented, developed and commercialized the airplane.
 
At the Vectren Dayton Air Show, the “B” will fly near the beginning of the show each day and then go on display where spectators can see the airplane up close and talk to its pilots and crew chiefs. The airplane has been a staple of Dayton air shows since the 1980s.
 
The airplane’s long record of flights at air shows and other events is due to its core of dedicated volunteers, said Wright “B” Flyer President Jay Jabour. “Volunteers designed and built this great airplane, and we depend on volunteers to fly it, maintain it and display it,” he said.
 
Volunteers also staff the organization’s hangar-museum at Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport in Miami Twp. “We have opportunities for all kinds of volunteers, from docents to gift shop managers to pilots,” Jabour said.
 
Memberships are also available, and members who join at the Honorary Aviator level are entitled to a free orientation flight on the airplane. Among the Honorary Aviators who have flown on the plane is the late Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon.

The National Aviation Heritage Alliance (NAHA) and its aviation heritage partners are also supporting the air show by producing its Aerospace Adventures (A2) program for youths from age 6 through 16. Since the program’s inaugural year in 2003, thousands of families have enjoyed more than 20 activities such as aerodynamic experiments, safety equipment demonstrations, rocketry, Global Positioning System (GPS) tutorials, and flight simulators.
 
The air show takes place at Dayton International Airport. This year’s show will feature the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and other military and civilian acts, including National Aviation Hall of Fame enshrinees Sean D. Tucker and Patty Wagstaff.

(Image provided by Wright-b-flyer.org. Used with permission)

FMI: www.daytonairshow.com