Aviation Trail, Inc.
Biography
The Dayton Aviation Trail is a self-guided tour of selected, aviation-related sites open to the public. The trail grew out of a regional economic development conference held at the University of Dayton on November 18-19, 1980, which was co-sponsored by the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission and the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. The purpose of its creation was to use Dayton’s unique aviation heritage to market the region as a tourist and business attraction.
In February 1981, an official committee was formed to implement a tourist organization. Five months later, on August 3, 1981, the committee established a not-for-profit corporation called Aviation Trail, Inc. Since then, their mission has been to identify and preserve the Dayton and the Miami Valley’s aviation heritage, as well as engaging in promotional and educational activities to spread awareness of the region’s rich history.
After discovering two Wright Brothers sites in original condition, their mission of Aviation Trail, Inc. expanded to include preservation. In 1982, they acquired the Wright Cycle Company building. This site was developed into the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center, currently under the administration of the National Park Service.
As of 2019, the trail consists of 18 aviation related sites, such as Carillon Historical Park, Huffman Prairie Flying Field, The Wright Cycle Company, and National Aviation Hall of Fame.
For more information, visit the organization’s web site at https://www.aviationtrailinc.org/.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Aviation Trail, Inc., Records (MS-577)
Aviation Trail, Inc., began in 1981 as an aviation-themed marketing effort in Dayton, Ohio. Initially including over 30 historical sites in the Miami Valley area relating to aviation history, a small self-guided tour brochure highlighting 16 sites was published. As of 2019, the Trail includes 18 sites.
