Committee hears museum testimony on 1905 Wright Flyer III; favorably reports four Senate bills to Rules and Reference

A museum representative told the Government Oversight and Reform Committee that the 1905 Wright Flyer III is a “national treasure” and urged the panel to support its designation as the state plane of Ohio.

The testimony came during the committee’s hearing before Vice Chair Brenner moved to favorably report Senate Bill 24 to the Committee on Rules and Reference. The committee then voted to send Senate Bills 24, 14, 6 and 21 to Rules and Reference by roll call.

The museum representative, identified in the record as a representative of the Wright Brothers National Museum at Carillon Historical Park, said the 1905 Wright Flyer III is exhibited at the museum and noted several formal recognitions: the aircraft was the first airplane designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1990; it was featured on the Ohio quarter unveiled in February 2002; and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers designated it a historic mechanical engineering landmark in February 2003. “Designation as the state plane of Ohio would be a fitting addition to the 1905 Wright Flyer III’s list of recognitions and tributes — something everyone in Ohio should be proud of,” the museum representative said.

A senator who said he had lived in the Dayton area and been…