State Representative Tom Young voted in favor of adopting the 1905 Wright Flyer III as Ohio’s official state airplane. The decision came after the Ohio House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 24. The aircraft, first flown by Orville and Wilbur Wright at Huffman Prairie near Dayton, is celebrated as the world’s first practical airplane. It achieved a flight duration of 39 minutes and 24 seconds on October 5, 1905.
“There is no prouder moment then today,” said Young. “We will place the Wright Flyer III permanently on display. This is a profound moment for who we are and how we will be remembered in aviation history. The Wright brothers changed the world.”
The Wright Flyer III holds the distinction of being the only airplane in the United States designated as a National Historic Landmark. The original plane underwent careful restoration with Orville Wright’s involvement in 1947 and is currently exhibited at the Wright Brothers Aviation Center at Carillon Historic Park in Dayton.
The bill now awaits consideration by the Governor.
