What can we learn about innovation from the creators of the first airplane? This is the beginning of a series of posts drawn from the Wright Brothers' hometown of Dayton, Ohio where Michael Seelman, Churchill Consultants, went to find out. The brothers approached the study of flight scientifically. First, they contacted the Smithsonian Institution to learn all they could about aviation from those that had come before them. Then they carefully observed the wing movements of flying birds to inspire their designs. Next, they experimented, recorded outcomes, and made incremental improvements. They started in Kitty Hawk, NC where wind conditions were favorable and they could incubate ideas in private. After modest initial success, operations moved closer to home for better access to resources and collaborators to take their product to the next level. At Huffman Prarie Field outside Dayton, they went from less than half a minute flight time covering a distance of 200 feet in a straight line (Kitty Hawk record) to over half an hour flight time covering 24 miles of distance flown with controlled turns. As you can see in the photos, the historic field has been preserved virtually unchanged from a century ago.