‘Early Flight’ is focus of dunes program
By Kitty Conley kconley@post-trib.com February 19, 2013 12:08PM
At a glance
◆ Early Flight in the Dunes free
program
◆ 2 p.m. Feb. 23
◆ Indiana Dunes State Park
Nature Center, 1600 N.
County Road 25E, Chesterton
◆ Park entrance fee: $5 in-state
vehicles, $10 out-of-state
◆ More information: 926-1390
Updated: February 19, 2013 12:18PM
There will be an Early Flight in the Dunes program at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Indiana Dunes State Park Nature Center, 1600 N. County Road 25E, Chesterton.
According to Brad Bumgardner, interpretive naturalist at the Dunes, the program will focus on the man who came before the Wright brothers.
This program will be about aviation pioneer Octave Chanute, who launched experimental gliders from Indiana’s Lake Michigan sand dunes.
Chanute was so influential in the advancement of aviation in the United States, that an Air Force Base was named after him. Chanute Air Force base is the sight of the Chanute Aeronautical Museum in Illinois. He started his experiments here at the dunes, while he was working in Chicago.
Aviation researcher and historian Simmine Short will be talking about early attempts at flight and offer insights into Chanute’s early attempts at flight and offer insights into his personal and professional life.
Chanute was a French-born engineer who lived in Chicago and with his friends did a lot of un-powered flight experiments from the Indiana Dunes. He also gave great encouragement to other experimenters, including the Wright brothers.
