The Wright Flying School had a hangar which they built for training. This is a photo of what it looked like in later years, when someone decided to charge admission to see it. Pretty cheesy, huh? When you look at Huffman Prairie today, you see the original 1904 replica - and aren't charged for it.

Huffman Prairie didn't have the strong, constant winds which blessed Kitty Hawk. In order to lift off from the ground, the aircraft had to go faster. So, they devised a catapult to pull it into the air, above. The derrick held the heavy weight (1100-1400 lbs.) which provided the energy. The men over to the left are resetting the weight by use of pulleys. Not easy.

 Next