Dan Patterson

15 years after the Wright brothers first flew at Kitty Hawk, airplanes were weapons.  The 12 horsepower motor and the frailties of the first airplane gave way to powerful engines. We tend to think of WWI as soldiers stuck in muddy trenches, but there was also fierce fighting in the sky. WWI airplanes flew much faster than early aircraft and soon were armed with guns and bombs.

Flying warfare began with slow and basic airplanes sent up to see what the enemy was doing beyond the horizon. Pilots came close to enemy airplanes and even shot at each other with pistols, wild west style.

On May 17, the National Museum of the United States Air Force opens an exhibit about the Memphis Belle, a WWII B-17 Flying Fortress.  The exhibit tells the story of the Memphis Belle and her crew, one of the first American bombers to survive 25 missions, at a time when surviving 10 missions was considered lucky.  Aviation commentator Dan Patterso has a few thoughts.

100 years ago this month, an aerial battle took place which has passed into legend. The story of two pilots whose flight paths literally crossed over the battlefield, Canadian Arthur Roy Brown and Manfred von Richtofen, the Red Knight of Germany.  Aviation commentator Dan Patterson has the story.

This is the story of Manfred and Roy, two pilots from different backgrounds.  One was the son of an elite German military family; the other was a middle class young man who enlisted when the British Empire went to war.

Over the weekend the Dayton International Airport celebrated its 80th anniversary.  When it opened, it was called Dayton Municipal Airport. And opening day coincided with the anniversary of the Wright Brothers' first fight at Kittyhawk, North Carolina.  It was 1936 – aviation was a burgeoning industry in the US.  Aviation commentator Dan Patterson has the story.

The public will be able to pay tribute to the late John Glenn on Friday when the former astronaut and Senator lies in state at the Ohio capitol.  WYSO's Aviation Commentator Dan Patterson has this reflection on Glenn's legendary career.

WYSO Aviation commentators Dan Patterson and Paul Glenshaw traveled to France in April to witness a significant moment in aviation history. Today they bring us the story of a milestone of American aviation—the loss of the first American pilot in combat.

One hundred years ago, on June 23, 1916, a young flyer named Victor Chapman took off on his last flight.

Memorial services will be held Friday in Louisville Kentucky for Muhammad Ali.  Local photographer Dan Patterson has fond memories of Ali. 

In 1971, I spent three days with The Champ.  He was is town twice that year, once be on the Phil Donahue show, still being produced at TV 2, and once to do an exhibition training fight as he prepared for another heavyweight fight with Joe Frazer.  

Last Saturday night, the future of aviation came to Dayton, where manned flight was created. The Solar Impulse, an electrically powered aircraft, which uses solar cells to generate its power landed at Dayton International Airport on the latest leg of an attempt to circle the earth. Our aviation commentator Dan Patterson was there.

The Solar Impulse approaching Dayton International Airport, looking very much a UFO.Credit Dan PattersonEdit | Remove

A story on NPR last month got our aviation commentator's attention. Dan Patterson heard that the US Navy has returned to teaching celestial navigation – a method that uses an instrument called a sextant along with the sun and stars to chart a course. The Navy says it's concerned about over-reliance on GPS navigation, which is vulnerable to attack or failure.