Back home in Dayton, I was so tired from the road trip that Bob and I had taken across West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey on the morning of Sunday, June 20, 2009, I almost considered sending Bob out alone to see the few sites in my own backyard of Dayton, Ohio, that he wanted to see. Then I thought better and decided to be a good host…and get some photos with some of the cool things that we actually have in my little old home town.
Bob and I had spent a day similar to this back in 1998 when we had taken our first road trip together around Ohio. I naturally didn’t get many photos at these landmarks so I thought that despite the exhaustion, this would be as good as time as any to capture them.
At the entrance to the Air Force Museum
Bob and I had browed the musem itself twice before – once in 1998 and once in 2004, so we didn’t really spend much time at all looking around the museum itself. Mostly I wanted to re-visit the Presidential aircraft located at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Being a Presidential buff, it was a crime that I didn’t have photos with these unbelievable relics of Presidential history located here in my back yard.
There was a nice Bob Hope display that included his Emmy that he won for his 1966 Bob Hope Christmas Special
The Air Force Museum opened at 9am, and we had to rush to the counter to put our names on the list (showing ID – afterall we were entering a secure United States Air Force Base). Buses left the musuem for the Presidential Gallery hangar on base every hour. The cool thing was that only 40 people at a time were allowed on the bus, so once we got there we could roam the hangar without any crowds. There was also a second gallery on hand with Research and Development and Flight Test aircraft. Below are the Presidential planes that we saw:
The Boeing VD-137C SAM 26000, which served eight Presidents
The Boeing VD-137C SAM 26000 was often referred to as Air Force One, although that designation really belongs to any aircraft on which sits an acting President. The jet was the first one built for use specifically by a President. It has served eight presidents before it was retired: Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton.
This is the area where Lyndon Johnson was sworn in following the assassination of President Kennedy
This is the aircraft that flew Kennedy to Berlin in 1963. It also flew him to Dallas where he was assassinated. It was on this plane that Johnson was sworn into office following Kennedy’s death. It flew Nixon to China in February 1972. In 1981, it flew Presidents Nixon, Ford, and CArter to the funeral of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. As you can, see this is most certainly the most famous Presidential plane in history.
The Beech VC-6A, used by President Johnson
The Beech VC-6A was placed in service in 1966 and was mostly used to transport President Johnson and members of his family from his ranch in Johnson City, Texas to the Bergstrom Air Force Base near Austin. It became informally known as the “Lady Bird Special.”
The Sacred Cow, used by Roosevelt and Truman
Bob squeezes through the Sacred Cow
The Douglas VC-54C “Sacred Cow” was designed specifically for use by Franklin Roosevelt, after he had become the first President to fly while in office when he took a commercial aircraft to Casablanca, Morocco in 1943. The Sacred Cow then became the first military aircraft used by a President when he flew to the USSR for the Yalta Conference in February 1945. It included an elevator to help the ailing President board while seated in his wheelchair. He only used this aircraft one time before his death in April 1945. It was then used the first 27 months into the Truman administration.
The Lockheed VC-140B Jetstar, used by four Presidents
Although the Lockheed VC-140B Jetstar was not the primary Presidential aricraft, it carried Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan. It was built in 1961 for the Air Force and retired in 1987 when it was flown to this hangar.
The Columbine III, used by President Eisenhower
The Lockheed VC-121E, known at the “Columbine III”, was the personal airplane of President Eisenhower from 1954 to 1961. It was so named after the state flower of Colorado, First Lady Mamie Eisenhower’s adopted home state. After the end of Eisenhower’s term, it stayed in service transporting government officials until 1966.
Eisnehower’s Aero Commander U-4B, the tiniest of all Air Force One aircraft
The tiny Aero Commander U-4B was both the smallest Air Force One, the first Presidential aircraft to only have two engines, and the first to sport the blue and white color scheme. It was used by President Eisenhower for short trips between 1956-60.
Harry S Truman’s Independence
You might guess which President routinely boarded the Douglas VC-118 “Independence” based on the name of the hometown of President Harry Truman. In 1947, Air Force officials ordered that this military variation of a commercial airliner be commisioned to replace the aging “Sacred Cow” (seen above). This aircraft carried President Truman to Wake Island to discuss the Korean situation with General Douglas MacArthur in 1950.
President Johnson’s North American T-39A Sabreliner
This North American T-39A Sabreliner (whose relative size is apparent next to the Boeing VD-137C SAM 26000) was assigned to Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas from 1968-1973 in support of President Lyndon Johnson.
One of the two Bell UH-13J Sioux helicopters used as Presidential aircraft
Two twin Bell UH-13J Sioux helicopters were purchased for use as the very first Presidential helicopters. President Eisenhower was the fist to fly in them, with President Kennedy following. They were retired from Presidential service in 1962, and completely from service in 1967. The other helicopter is located in the Smithsonian.
And that was that…
Located adjacent to the Presidential Gallery in the same hangar was the Research & Development and Flight Test Aircraft. Obviously I wasn’t quite as interested in these aircraft examples, but gathered a couple photos of two of the more interesting ones.
A cool looking test plane
This Chance-Vought/LTV XC-142A is one of only five ever created. It was designed to test short landing or takeoff situations, which would allow rapid transport of troops or supplies in unprepared areas in different weather conditions.
This plane bites
This cute modified Scaled Composites Long-EZ “Borealis” completed the first manned flight of an aircraft powered by a pulsed detonation engine. I don’t know what any of that means, but I liked its teeth.
Bob and I took the bus back to the musem after about 45 minutes of browsing. We headed out a little after 11:00am to our next Dayton destination, the Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum. The big claim to fame here is that the Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville, are buried on the grounds. I had visited these graves in both 1998 and 2004, but never got my picture taken with them.
Overview of the Wright Brothers’ (and sister’s) burial plots. See, North Carolina, you can’t have them
With Orville Wright
With Wilbur Wright
I was proud that the Kroger Company placed a plaque at the Wright Brothers graves
Buried near to the Wright Brothers, was their personal friend Paul Laurence Dunbar, a famous poet from the turn of the century. Obviously I had been here in 1998 and 2004 as well. I also toured Dunbar’s Dayton home in 1998.
The grave of Paul Laurence Dunbar
And finally of note is the burial location of humorist writer Erma Bombeck. She is actually in an unmarked grave, but it is easy to find as a huge rock from her home in Phoenix was transported to Dayton to be laid above her grave.
Erma Bombeck’s rock
It is sad to say, but I wasn’t aware of all of the changes that had taken place in my own backyard in downtown Dayton in regards to preserving the heritage of the Wright Brothers. When Bob and I last visited this area in 1998, only the Wright Cycle Co. Shop was open for tours. This was actually the fifth of six locations where the brothers had bicycle shops. The location of their printing press still stood but was an abandoned building. The location of their home was merely a vacant lot. Unbeknownst to me, all of it had changed since then.
One of the Wright Brothers’ bicycle shops
We had toured the Wright Cycle shop in 1998 so we didn’t go in, but I was actually astonished to see the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park that had been built next door – incorporating the printing building into the structure. In fact, a replica of the printing press was now located on the third floor that the Wright Brothers had occupied.
Outside the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. The building directly behind me was where the Wright Brothers had their print shop
The museum was interesting and interactive, exploring the history of flight, and commemorating the contributions of the Wright Brothers and Paul Laurence Dunbar. There were informational movies…but we didn’t catch any.
Tomfoolery in the museum
Up, up, and awry
Within walking distance of the museum was the location of the home of the Wright Brothers. Wilbur and Orville lived in this house with their father Milton and younger sister Katharine during much of their lives in Dayton. In fact, Orville was born here in 1871 and Wilbur died here in 1912. (Wilbur was born in Millville, Indiana – which you can see here). The main structure of the house was relocated to the Henry Ford Musuem in Detroit. But here stands a portion of the original porch that was added by the Wright Brothers in the 1890’s. The rest of the house area has been outlined.
Location and porch of the Wright family home
And for the very final historical location of the entire week’s trip is an unusual one, and probably one that most Daytonians are not aware of. On the field in Triangle Park on October 3, 1920, was held the first game of the American Professional Football Association, which would later become the National Football League. The Dayton Triangles defeated the Columbus Panhandles 14-0.
Who would have thought that this was here?
Bob and I scouted another one of the Wright Brothers homes that wasn’t open to the public and then headed back toward my house for lunch and were there by 2pm. Bob’s new Ohio obsession is Skyline Chili. Wouldn’t you know that I almost never eat here and it’s about two minutes from my house! So this has become another tradition to our road trips, along with Cracker Barrels, barbecues, teppanyakis, and steak houses. Sushi and Hard Rocks when available.
Heavenly plates of chili calling, it’s Skyline time
After we had our lunch, I went over and picked up Christi and Creed and we all ordered some Meat Lovers pizzas from Pizza Hut for dinner and watched The Big Lebowski. Not the typical follow-up to a nice, long, and very rewarding road trip – but it worked.
Monday morning came early. I had to take Bob to the Cincinnati airport before reporting to work. It was hard to believe that I still had two vacations ahead of me in July that would be here before I knew it. But first…
Return to the beginning of the trip here…
Continue with 2009 and more summer fun…
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