"The great bird will make its first flight,
filling the whole world with amazement,
filling all records with its fame,
and bringing eternal glory to its birthplace."
-- LEONARDO DA VINCI, anticipating the  invention of mechanical flight in 1505.

The story of the Wright brothers and the invention of the airplane are woven deep into American mythology, so deep that it profoundly affects how we see ourselves.  Two plucky mechanics, with no funding other than what they can scrape together themselves, out-invent the world's best scientific minds and achieve the age-old dream of flight by virtue of their common sense, imagination, and stick-to-it-iveness. Once you know the basic story, it becomes a metaphor in your own life, confirming the worth of your dreams and the work you do to achieve them. For this reason alone, it's a story worth telling again and again.

As we approach 2003, the centennial anniversary of the Wright brothers' first powered flight, there will be an increased interest in this story as well as opportunities to tell it in new and exciting ways. The most exciting way to tell an aviation story is, of course, to use airplanes. So first-to-fly.com has launched  "The Spirit of Dayton"  Project. We are recreating early Wright flying machines -- kites, gliders, and aircraft -- and flying them. We then share the unique experience of building and flying with kids of all ages.

At the heart of "The Spirit of Dayton" Project are historically accurate reproductions of three  Wright airplanes. The program that surrounds each airplane is designed to produce a different educational experience.