COLUMBUS, Ohio – The war in the Sky over the Western Front, where fliers like Eddie Rickenbacker and the Red Baron, made their reputations during the First World War, will live again in the skies above Dayton this weekend as the World War I Dawn Patrol Rendezvous returns to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
The event, Sept. 27-28, features full-scale and 7/8-scale reproductions of historic aircraft, like the Nieuport, SE-5 and Fokker Dr. I triplanes (pictured left), taking off and landing on the field behind the museum.
When the full-scale aircraft take a break, more than 100 WWI-era radio-controlled model aircraft, some as large as 1/2 scale, will perform will take to the skies to simulate dogfights and demonstrate formation flying and bomb dropping and other missions typical of the Great War.
“The WWI Dawn Patrol Rendezvous is the only large-scale WWI event of its kind in the country and perhaps even the world. This one-of-a-kind event brings a number of different entities together – from the aircraft, to the reenactors, antique automobiles, activities and vendors – and for one weekend re-creates the days of WWI,” said museum special events coordinator David Thomas.
Visitors will be able to speak to pilots and get an up-close look at these aircraft, and aircraft computer simulators will be available for those who want the experience of flying a WWI aircraft.
More than 60 reenactors will perform skits in a war encampment, more than 20 antique automobiles will be on display and participate in a parade and there will be a collector’s show for WWI items.
New to the event this year is an above-ground trench, which Thomas says will serve as the entrance and exit point to the grounds and provide visitors with a feel for how trench warfare was conducted on the Western Front between 1914 and 1918.
There will be free interactive educational programs four different stations near the event:
“Parachutes” – Visitors will learn about the early development of parachutes. Participants will be able to try on a parachute pack and take a photo while hanging in parachute gear.
“How an airplane flies” – This station will use a model aircraft to show how lift and control surfaces allow an airplane to fly.
“Rotary Engines” – Rotary engines were the type of engine used in many WWI aircraft and this station will use a small rotary engine to demonstrate how it works.
“Make and Fly a Paper Glider” – Participants will be able to make and fly a paper glider of their own.
Additional activities in the educational activities tent include Buckeye Gamers in Flight’s WWI giant board game, “Wings of Glory,” which Thomas says will provide participants with a better understanding of the war in Europe and the number of countries involved.
Seven WWI authors will serve as guest speakers throughout the weekend.
The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, is the world’s largest military aviation museum.