We are proud of the work we do in the aviation industry. We have reached far beyond our Midwest roots to solve drilling efficiencies and facilitate aerospace manufacturing across the U.S.
For the entire team at West Ohio Tool, developing cutting tools for the aviation industry is more than just a job. Flight is part of our state’s history and a source of our personal pride. Even our CEO, Kaci, is currently learning how to fly in her spare time!
In 1939, President Roosevelt proclaimed August 19 National Aviation Day because the date is also the birthday of Ohio native, Orville Wright. Orville, along with his brother Wilbur, pioneered flight, and their most important work happened in Ohio. The Wright Brothers conducted hundreds of test flights at Huffman Prairie Flying Fields just over 50 miles away from our office.
The legacy of the Wright Brothers lives on throughout Ohio through our museums and experiential attractions. From the National Air Force Museum to the National Aviation Heritage Area, families, aerospace historians, and flight buffs flock to Ohio to immerse themselves in the rich history of aviation.
Being the birthplace of flight might be enough for some, but for the people of Ohio it is an invitation to transform the future. Wright-Patterson Airforce Base, for instance, is the epicenter of a worldwide logistics system, supports 47,000 aircraft operations annually, and employs more than 30,000 people. The base is also home to the Air Force Institute of Technology, the military arm’s graduate school of engineering and continuing education.
A short drive (and an even shorter flight!) east of the Airforce base, The Ohio State University’s Center for Aviation Studies and its affiliated Aerospace Research Center (ARC) advances the future of aviation through multidisciplinary studies that explore all sides of the aviation industry. ARC’s research is moving toward vital discoveries in gas turbine engine efficiency, unmanned aircraft, and aerodynamic flow control.
In a salute to the ultimate flight achievement, National Aviation Day gives us the chance to celebrate the 25 NASA astronauts who are Ohio natives. Three of the nearly 80 space flights our fellow Buckeyes completed were trips to the moon.
We touch many industries. Every custom tool we develop in partnership with our customer’s unique needs is a source of professional pride. When it comes to our work in aviation, it just goes a bit deeper.
“Ohio” is our middle name and Ohio is the birthplace of flight.
