Huffman Prairie Flying Field
Huffman Prairie Flying Field
Gate 16A off State Route 444, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433 MAP
Phone: 937.425.0008
Web: www.nps.gov/daav
Huffman Prairie is an 84-acre field on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, where the Wright brothers continued their flying experiments after their first powered flights at Kitty Hawk, N.C. It is where they tested the world's first practical airplane.
The Wright Fllyer III was their 1905 machine. Its final flight, made by Wilbur on Oct. 5, 1905, marked the completion of the Wright brothers’ experimental flying and the beginning of practical powered flight.
Wilbur and Orville Wright returned to Huffman Prairie in 1910 to establish the Wright Company’s flying school. The 119 students who learned to fly here became some of America’s most noted air pioneers, including then-Lt. Henry H. Arnold, commander of the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
Wilbur Wright died in 1912. Orville sold the Wright Company in 1915. The School of Aviation ceased operations in 1916. In 1917 the site became part of 2,000 acres purchased by the Miami Conservancy District and later incorporated into Wilbur Wright Field, now a part of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
In 1992, the Huffman Prairie Flying Field became one of the sites of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. The Air Force and National Park Service manage the site and make it available to the public. It features a replica of the Wright brothers’ 1905 hangar. During summer months, Wright “B” Flyer Inc. provides a non-flying replica of the Wright Company’s first production airplane for public display on the field.
The associated Huffman Prairie Flying Field Interpretive Center is located at the Wright Memorial on an overlook about 2 miles from the flying field.
Adjacent to the flying field is a 109-acre expanse of preserved Ohio prairie, the largest tallgrass prairie remnant in the state. A walking path through the prairie is accessible from the flying field.
Hours
Thursday through Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday: Closed
Closed Marathon: Closed on the Saturday of the USAF Marathon
Special notice: The prairie is on an active military base. Visitors should call the Interpretive Center at 937.425.0008 for field closures.
Admission
Admission is free.
National Park activities and events
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