The Ohio Aviators are an inactive team in the American Basketball Association

American Basketball Association (21st century)

The American Basketball Association, often abbreviated as ABA, is a semi-professional men's basketball league that was founded in 1999. The current ABA has no affiliation with the original American Basketball Association that merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976...

 based in Canton, Ohio

Canton, Ohio

Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...

. The team finished 3-13 in their lone season (2005-06), and lost in the first round of the ABA playoffs.

"Aim High, Fly High!"

Announced to much fanfare and excitement at an April 14, 2005 press conference, the Aviators pledged to sell 4,000 tickets to the home opener, and, according to GM Bryant Lewandowski, sell out every night. Throughout the summer of 2005, the Aviators participated in streetball tournaments, and summer leagues, winning one such.

Despite a seemingly successful pre-season and press conferences to unveil new signees, the team had very slow ticket sales. Referring to the home opener, one person in the front office stated "I do not know how many tickets have been sold so far. Season ticket sales have been very slow."(as quoted in an email exchange), and noted that press coverage was less than friendly.

The First Season

The Aviators opened their season on November 18 with a 108-96 loss on the road versus the Detroit Wheels

Detroit Wheels

The Detroit Wheels were an American football team, a charter member of the ill-fated World Football League.The Wheels were founded December 13, 1973 by ten investors, whose number eventually grew to 33, including singer Marvin Gaye, Motown Records vice-president Esther Edwards, and Little Caesars...

. Three more losses followed, against the Lake Erie Rockers (110-104), Indiana Alley Cats

Indiana Alley Cats

The Indiana Alley Cats was a member of the Continental Basketball Association . They are based in Anderson, Indiana and formerly played at Anderson High School Wigwam. The team was formerly a part of the American Basketball Association.-2005-2006:...

 (136-133), and the Toledo Ice

Toledo Ice

The Toledo Royal Knights were a team in the American Basketball Association in Toledo, Ohio.The team was known as the Toledo Ice before a December 2006 change of ownership.The team cancelled the rest of their season because of lack of funding....

(110-109).

Current status

The Aviators did not play in 2006-07, spending the season listed on ABALive.com's 2007-08 expansion list. In July 2007, the Aviators were dropped from the team list at ABALive.com, indicating that the Aviators are not expected to return.