An old wooden shack and rows of tilted fence posts: In a way, this deserted little patch of Midwestern dirt was the starting point for every airport in the world. On a cold winter's day I scan a snowy, lonely field north of Dayton, Ohio. Not sure exactly where I am, I wonder for a minute if I'm lost. A National Park Service sign makes it clear what I'm looking at: "The first airport. Exploring Huffman Prairie Flying Field." Wait. Back up. I don't think I knew about that. Like millions of other Americans, I was taught that the Wright brothers worked their flying magic in a place called Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Then it hit me: What I'd stumbled onto was the Wrights' outdoor laboratory -- where they took powered flight to the next level.
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Most know about Kitty Hawk, but the Wrights perfected their planes in Ohio
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National Park Service touts Huffman Prairie Flying Field as the "first airport"
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Many historic aviation firsts took place at Huffman Prairie, located north of Dayton
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Oldest airports include Maryland's College Park, Pearson Field in Washington state
-- The first "cargo flight," took place out of @placeholder, said Petersen.