Cargo Flight Re-enactment

Cargo Flight Re-Enactment

On Nov. 7, 1910, Wright Company pilot made the world’s first cargo flight, delivering 200 pounds of silk from Huffman Prairie near Dayton, Ohio, to Columbus.

On Oct. 2, 2010, Wright “B” Flyer Inc., in partnership with the National Aviation Heritage Alliance, re-enacted the flight with its modern lookalike of a Wright Model B. Instead of silk, it carried samples of advanced materials and micro air vehicles from the Air Force Research Laboratory on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

The original Huffman Prairie is preserved as a part of WPAFB, and the re-enactment flight launched from WPAFB within sight of the prairie. The re-enactment flight included a stop at Madison County Airport near London, where the public was invited to view the airplane, and ended at Rickenbacker International Airport, a modern air freight center near Columbus, where the Columbus Regional Airport Authority and Lane Aviation sponsored a private reception.

The Airport Authority was the principal sponsor of the event. It oversees the operations of Port Columbus, Rickenbacker and Bolton Field airports delivering high-quality, cost-effective and coordinated aviation and logistics services for Central Ohio. Lane Aviation, also a sponsor, provides charter services, fueling, hangaring, sales, and maintenance for general aviation aircraft at both Rickenbacker and Port Columbus.