Wilbur wright biography bottle doll

In late 1878, a father gave his two boys a toy that flew under its own power. It had a small propeller, and made a big impression. Twenty-five years later, one of the boys became the world's first pilot, and never lost his fascination with flight.

Milton Wright was a bishop whose church duties carried him across the country.

In 1878, Milton returned home to Dayton with a toy called the Flying Bat. It sparked the imagination of his two youngest sons, Wilbur and Or  ville.

Wilbur wright biography bottle doll

I borrowed a modern version of the Flying Bat from Carillon Historical Park and asked two Dayton sisters, Amelia and Emory Berger, 5 and 7, to give it a whirl.

Amelia pretended to be an airplane. Something kids probably never did before the Wright brothers grand invention.

“I’m flying!" she said.

“She’s flying [laughs]” Emory echoed.

Amelia launched the Flying Bat while Emory watched.

"She’s turning the propeller," said Emory.

"And the