Aviation Trail – Part 4

Aviation Trail, Inc. (the official name of the organization) hosts several commemorative and periodic activities throughout the year.  Usually these are open to the public.  They are publicized to an extent, but are not what one might call “advertised.“  To attend one merely needs to contact the organization to reserve space.  Technically members can also set up space for someone else; members get invitation notices that accommodate guests.  Usually there is a nice dinner involved with a couple of choices for meals, but the December 17 event (in commemoration of that first flight at Kitty Hawk) has offered the "Wright family Christmas dinner."  In the summer there’s a picnic. 

The best sources of information about activities are the organization and the National Park Service offices.  There’s a visitors’ center at Third and Williams streets in Dayton that’s open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.  The special area is marked on maps and is largely on the Williams street side, and of course there is also normally the telephone.  The dinners include awards ceremonies honoring noteworthy individuals.  A special award sponsored by the organization is the annual "Trailblazer award."  It is given to an individual or organization that’s made notable contribution to the advancement of aviation.  There can be more than one "awardee" at a time. 

Membership in the organization is not particularly expensive, and one does not really have to attend anything to maintain a membership (individual and family group) or be informed of what is happening in and about the great legacy of the Wright Brothers in the area.  As mentioned, notices of events are mailed out specifically for events.  Also an eight page periodic (every couple of months) newsletter is mailed out.  That has a report of various developments and other interesting and news type information.  It is also a source of National Park Service information and other things that would not be found in the general media, local or otherwise. 

A basic organization can be well thought out.