DAYTON, OHIO — With the passage of Senate Bill 24 Feb. 12, 2025, the Wright Flyer III, housed at Carillon Historical Park’s John W. Berry Sr. Wright Brothers National Museum, is one step closer to being designated the Ohio state airplane.
The 1905 Wright Flyer III, built, tested, and extensively flown in Ohio, is the world’s first practical airplane, capable of sustained and fully maneuverable flights, according to Carillon Historical Park officials.
“As they progressed, the Wright brothers developed a useful, marketable invention that changed the world,” officials added.
In 1990, the 1905 Wright Flyer III became the first airplane designated a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior. The U.S. Mint featured the plane on the Ohio quarter in 2002, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers designated the plane a Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 2003.
“As the owner and caretaker of this national treasure, Carillon Park is proud to exhibit the 1905 Wright Flyer III, and the designation as Ohio’s official state plane would be a genuine honor,” said Brady Kress, president and CEO of Dayton History.
With SB 24’s passing, it will now move on to the Ohio House of Representatives for approval and, if passed, onto Governor Mike DeWine’s desk.
Carillon Historical Park is part of Dayton History, a private non-profit organization established to preserve, share, and celebrate the Dayton region’s unique history. The park’s 65-acre campus is home to more than 35 historic structures and cares for more than 3 million artifacts.
For more information: DaytonHistory.org
Too late. We already did that years ago here in North Carolina, First in Aviation! (just kidding)