Two Boys from Dayton

 “…the distinctive popping, cluttering, flapping sound of engine and propellers drifted over from the Huffman pasture. The Wright boys were at it again” (289).

The Book

The Bishop’s Boys: A Life of Wilbur and Orville Wright by Tom Crouch is an in-depth look at the two men who succeeded where everyone else failed, inventing heavier than air powered flight. Wilbur and Orville were determined and meticulous. Their differences complemented each other, while their ability to argue through a problem spurred them to new ideas.

Crouch divides the book into three sections: Family, Wings, and World. “Family” lays the ground work for the following sections by exploring the lives and influence of the Wright Brothers’ parents, Milton and Susan, the experiences that shaped the brothers, and their early careers in printing and bicycles. “Wings” focuses on the early experiments of the brothers, from the late 1890s to 1904. Often bored, the brothers would look for another project. Wilbur became interested in flight first, with Orville joining later. Here is where their differences begin to complement each other: Wilbur was interested in the big picture and Orville in making the big picture work. Unlike all others pursuing flight, Wilbur believed the pilot needed complete control of all axes of flight – just like on a bicycle. This belief impacted the design of all their gliders and flyers.

After spending several years traveling to Kitty Hawk, NC, and realizing that this was no longer a hobby, the brothers searched for an alternative closer to home. In Spring 1904, they chose Huffman Prairie for its isolation (eight miles from Dayton) and location on the interurban line (a form of public transit). The 1904 machine struggled due to poor flying weather and mechanical problems. But, once the brothers built a catapult to launch the flyer, the take-offs were less risky and flights more successful. “World” begins with the success of the 1905 Wright Flyer III at Huffman Prairie. Throughout the Fall, their flights are increasingly longer, they demonstrate complete control over the machine, and attract spectators. Not long after, the brothers stopped flying to focus on obtaining a patent and contracts to sell the plane. The bulk of the section details the ups and downs of negotiating with the US and European governments, creation of the Wright Company, and maintaining their status as the first in flight. The brothers are often labeled as fakes due to their insistence on secrecy (all to protect their design). When Wilbur passes away in 1912, at the age of 45, Orville lost interest in the company. He sold it and walked away, preferring to tinker in his Dayton laboratory for the rest of his life.

Crouch writes in an engaging way, describing the technical details and experiments that are easy to understand and visualize. In some cases, the narrative slows to a play by play. Here, the reader can almost imagine what it would have been like to fly for the first time or watch a man fly for the first time. Crouch relies heavily on long passages from family letters to provide details and character insight, helping the reader visualize who Wilbur and Orville were. I particularly liked the chapters in the “Wings” section that explored Wilbur’s early thoughts about flight and where to experiment. There are a handful of black and white photos interspersed in the chapters; it would have been nice to have a few more of them. There were two areas where I think opportunities were missed. One was the too brief mention of the Wright Brothers Home Days Celebration in Dayton and the other was too much time spent on biographies of other individuals.

The Place

The Huffman Prairie Interpretive Center sits high above the Huffman Prairie Flying Field, where the Wright Brothers flew the world’s first practical airplane in 1905. On a clear day, it’s easy to imagine the Wright Flyer III soaring over the trees and circling the prairie. There may be some other curious people there and you strike up a conversation about a sight you have never seen before or thought was even possible!

I recommend that visitors start at the museum. It focuses on the Wright Brothers time at Huffman Prairie: developing and testing the Flyers and the flying school they started in 1910. There is very little overlap between this museum and the other sites in Dayton. Just outside is a memorial, dedicated in 1940. Once you complete your time in the museum, you can drive down to the flying field. A replica barn and catapult sit in the field, similar to the ones the Wright Brothers would have used, and interpretive signs are scattered around the field.

The Center is located on a public section of the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The Air Force has preserved the Flying Field and the National Park Service runs the museum. It can be a bit difficult to find, but isn’t far from the National Museum of the United States Air Force. It won’t take visitors long to explore the museum or view the flying field and admission is free.

Dayton Aviators

“With their homemade machine, Wilbur and Orville Wright had shown without a doubt that man could fly and if the world did not yet know it, they did” (107).

The Book

Much has been said and written about Wilbur and Orville Wright; the down-to-earth brothers who brought flight to the world. Yet, The Wright Brothers by David McCullough, still provides the reader with a fresh take on a well-loved story.

The first several pages serve as an orientation to the Wright Brothers as adults-a character sketch helping the reader understand who these two men were. The rest of the book helps the reader to see those character sketches in action, from early days through all the time spent tinkering and experimenting to recognition as the inventors of the airplane.  

McCullough provides a brief overview of the family history, the Wright Brothers as children, and their early jobs (printing and bicycle makers). After setting the stage with the first flights in Kitty Hawk (1900-1903), McCullough focuses the book on what happened next. The reader learns of the test flights at Huffman Prairie outside Dayton, OH, the early interest of both Britain and France (but not America) in the Wright Flyer, and the time spent, by both brothers, staging demonstrations in Europe and America. Throughout the book, it becomes clear that Wilbur and Orville were meticulous, protective, and committed to solving the centuries old question of flight.

The Wright Brothers is well-written and easy to read. McCullough introduces enough technical language to help the reader grasp the development of flight, but also provides explanations to help the reader understand. Family letters are used to help show what the various members of the Wright family were thinking or experiencing. This lends authenticity to the book. The reader walks away with a greater appreciation for the Wright Brothers and amazement at how quickly the airplane developed.

The Place

Dayton, OH provides numerous opportunities to explore the lives of two of her favorite sons. Two of these provide a look at the early chapters and the last chapters of the Wright Brothers lives.

First, is the Wright Cycle Complex. This complex includes the Wright’s fourth bicycle shop and a museum. Tours of the bicycle shop are provided for visitors. The museum encompasses several parts: the Wright Brothers, the history of innovation, Paul Laurence Dunbar (an African-American poet who was friends with the Orville Wright), the location of the Wright’s printing shop, and a parachute museum. Admission is free, but there are seasonal operating hours. Just blocks away, is the location of the original Wright Family home on Hawthorn Street.

Second, is Hawthorn Hill, the home completed in 1914 for the family to live in (Orville, sister Katherine, and father Bishop). Unfortunately, Wilbur died prior to its completion. Hawthorn Hill is a beautiful house that is currently being restored to the way it looked when the Wrights lived there. The restoration does not prevent tours, which are offered twice on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Pre-paid admission is required and visitors ride a bus to the home. 

Lighter Than Air

“The very notion of wing-warping [a process the Wright Brothers invented] was to increase the lift on one side of the glider while decreasing lift on the other side, thus inducing a banking roll toward the side with less lift” (131).

The Book

To Conquer the Air: The Wright Brothers and the Great Race for Flight is mainly a book about Wilbur and Orville Wright. However, author James Tobin does more than just introduce the reader to the Wright Brothers. He provides the details of how flight was achieved and the other men who were attempting their own versions of aerorplanes (the original word for airplanes) or gliders. Throughout the book, Tobin weaves together the stories of the Wright Brothers and their contemporaries. The reader sees the frustration and joy that comes with any invention; years were spent perfecting a small part or a theory.  

Many of the Wright Brothers own words are included in the text. In one passage, Wilbur explains the feeling of flying, “There is a sense of exhilaration in flying through the free air, an intensity of enjoyment, which possibly may be due to the satisfaction of an inborn longing transmitted to us from the days when our early ancestors gazed wonderingly at the free flight of birds and contrasted it with their own slow and toilsome progress through the unbroken wilderness” (238). The reader gens a sense of what it must have been like to soar in an open air glider.

There are parts of the book that are difficult to get through. Tobin includes many explanations of theories and the technical process of building gliders. Several chapters focus on other men who were attempting to invent a flying machine. It is interesting to read about the different ideas each man had. Ultimately, the Wright Brothers would create the device that would be the predecessor to modern airplanes.

The Place

Wilbur and Orville Wright were from Dayton, Ohio and owned a bicycle shop where they built gliders during the winter. Today, Dayton’s motto is the “Birthplace of Aviation.” Carillon Park provides visitors a history of Dayton that includes the original 1905 Wright Flyer III. Visitors are able to walk into buildings that were a part of Dayton’s history, learn about Dayton’s involvement with innovation and World War II, and see the changes in public transportation. Many of the exhibits are hands on, which is great for small children.

Dayton has many other aviation sites to explore. A part of this list is the National Air Force Museum. I grew up going to this museum and it has always been one of my favorites. The admission is free and the museum provides an up close view of airplanes from the Wright Brothers to the present day. The museum is in a giant hanger and some airplanes are open for visitors to climb in and imagine being a pilot.