The official name for this sculpture is Flyover. However, many Dayton natives call it something very different. We call it the dinosaur spine because… well…it looks like a dinosaur spine. It looks like the Museum of Natural History misplaced one of their fossil displays. I think the bench at the entrance to Dave Hall plaza with two metal bowler hats is a much more fitting tribute to the Wright brothers.
Amy S.
Place rating: 4 Portsmouth, OH
CK and I happened to spot this giant sculpture whilst we were wandering around downtown Dayton prior to the start of the Film Dayton Festival at the Neon. Its placed smack dab in the middle of S Main Street downtown across from a small plaza(that I later found out was called Dave Hall Plaza). I didn’t know what the sculpture was, so I took a picture to look up later. Our 1st thought was that it must have something to do with the Wright Brothers(because EVERYTHING in Dayton has something to do with the Wright Brothers). And we were right. The sculpture traces the path of the Wright Brothers first powered airplane flight. It was designed by David Evans Black in 1996. …And really that’s all I could find about it. But I like it! I have a fondness for urban art that includes the areas around it and makes you feel like you’re a part of it. I also think the concept of tracing a flight path is rather nice, although it does make you realize that the 1st flight was not long at all! It could be in a better(i.e. more trafficked part of town) because it didn’t seen like it was in an area to be a highlight of Dayton.
