DAYTON, OHIO – AVIATION DAY!

Jett’s Wild Flight:

By: Jett Lillie, 7/20/22

This is your “Pilot Jett” speaking, you are now at the National US Air Force Museum. First, we got lost and ended up getting a police escort for FREEEEEEEEE to the museum! Then, we went through the security to get into the museum. My dad, my sister, and I looked in the first hangar and learned about the Wright Brothers. In the second hangar we saw a big plan about 50 feet long with a wingspan of 80-100 feet! I also saw my favorite jet, the F-22 Raptor. It’s stealth is unbelievable! I also saw a Mustang car but in the inside was like a plane’s cockpit, even the steering wheel!

My mom, dad, and I did a simulator. It was fun, but not as fun as the second simulator. The second simulator was 360 degrees, meaning we went upside down! I was the gunner and my dad was the pilot. We got 1,500 points! [Expert level!] Then we went to table 33 and ate lunch. I got a booger [get it booger… burger] and my sister got a giant pretzel! My sister absolutely loved their fries. ‘’Can we get more? More fries please, I’ll pay for it!’’ But our parents said, “no.” My sister was devastated!

Jules’ Journal:

By: Julianne Lillie, 7/20/22

Today was all about Flight! We first headed out to Huffman Prairie Flying Interpretive Center only to end up trying to enter an active US Airforce Base! (Oops! GPS screwed up!) We explained our situation at the gate and the police officer thought we were trying to get to the museum and offered to escort us there. So we kindly accepted the police escort to the National U.S. Airforce Museum. This was on our agenda for this afternoon, so we just decided to flip flop our schedule around.

Over 400 planes in 4 massive hangars – it was HUGE!

Stealth

Nuclear Missiles

NASA Space Shuttle

Space Shuttle Cockpit - simulator

Jaycie took a notebook & was determined to take notes and document the “important stuff.” And that she did! She was inspired by the “women in flight” exhibit and documenting the history of the first women pilots to the first woman gunner in the US airforce. She ended up with 10 pages of notes and 2 pages of airplane sketches with post it note captions. She later printed out photos from her photo printer and it’s turned more into a research project! (And all on her own!) Very impressive!

She did all of this while Jett & Jason did a 360 degree fighter jet simulator where Jason was the pilot and Jett was the gunner. They ended up with 15 kills and received expert level! The average kills is 4. The couple before them only got 1 kill. Jett was super pumped! Finally his Fortnite shooting skills paid off! LOL!

After the museum, we headed for lunch in downtown Dayton. We came across a cute café called Table 13. They had massive handmade scratch pretzels… so Jaycie was in heaven! And she loved their fries and kept stealing ours which Jason and I were sharing. Not too healthy of a meal, but she’s such a picky eater, were just happy she didn’t starve!

Then we headed to Dayton Aviation Heritage National Park. The Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center served as the Visitor’s Center & the kids picked up their Jr Ranger booklets. We found out that this place offered a badge AND so did the other center we were trying to find this morning. So this kids of course wanted so badly to earn both badges, but we only had about 1.5 hours before each of the centers closed. So the kids got to work on their 1st booklet and completed all 8 pages in 30 minutes! We learned so much about the Wright Brothers! Did you know their father, Milton, was a bishop? And their mother, Susan, was the one who actually had an aptitude in machinery and flight. She was the one who inspired her sons, Orville & Wilbur and is known as the “mother of flight!”

So after the kids received their badge here, we beelined it to the other place – Huffman Prairie Flying Interpretive Center. They worked on those booklets a little in the car on the way and when we arrived we only had 30 minutes until they closed. Kids were determined as this badge was a special one – in the shape of wings! So we walked through the exhibits and learned even more! The kids received their wings, so 2 badges in 1 day!

Wright Flyer 1902

Wright Memorial which overlooks the Huffman prairie, where Orville & Wilbur conducted their many test flights.

We came home to the RV and started on laundry & dinner. And while Jaycie and I watched Cedarpoint Students online, Jason worked and Jett got inspired! Jett created 1 model plane out of cardboard and drew 2 more original designs of planes – 1 jet and 1 bomber. I think today was inspiring to all of us!

Jaycie’s Bunny Hoppin’ News:

By: Jaycie Lillie, 7/20/22

First, we went to Walgreens to get me a new journal for notes. I have twelve pages of notes from the National United Sates Air Force Museum. They are completed with polaroid photos. I feel they have helped me learn so much more than I would have without. I would like to share a few snippets.

The F-22 Raptor is an Air Force plane with many interesting features. It’s paint makes it hard to see by the naked eye (from the ground) or heat-seeking missiles. [Jett does not agree on this information]

The first solo woman in an airplane was Blanche Stuart Scott on September 2, 1910.

That is only two facts I have learned [3 if you count Jett]. I love taking notes, writing and learning. Hopefully I will get more chances like this one to share my knowledge and what a have learned.

Before the museum we ended up at an active US Air Force base. We were escorted by a police car, not the first though [thanks to my Uncle Sam who is Tulsa PD]. After the museum we went to Table 33 [a farm to table place.] They had the BIGGEST pretzels ever!!! And the BEST FRIES IN THE UNIVERSE! They were so good! Mommy and Daddy stopped sharing with me. =( I wanted my own but they said no. I even offered to pay myself, but no! Never will I have better fries. [Not even Freddy’s Fries!]

After lunch, we got some junior ranger badges just before they closed! [Whew!] We were flying!!! [pun intended]