Events
Scheduled from August 19-22 at the Site of the Wright Brothers' First
Flights
Kill Devil Hills, NC,
August 12, 2003
A four-day celebration from August 19-22 will
take place at Wright Brothers National Memorial honoring Orville
Wright's birthday and National Aviation Day, the National Park Service
announced today. "Our annual observation of the Wright brothers'
accomplishments and National Aviation Day is especially important
this centennial year," remarked Lawrence A. Belli, Superintendent,
Outer Banks Group. "The world would be a very different place without
the contributions the Wright brothers made to human flight." National
Aviation Day was established by presidential proclamation in 1939,
which designated the anniversary of Orville Wright's birthday on
August 19 in 1871 an annual day of observance to mark the milestone
of manned, powered flight. Orville Wright made the first flight
for 12 seconds and 120 feet at the site of Wright Brothers National
Memorial at 10:35 a.m. on December 17, 1903.
The four-day celebration will feature a birthday
celebration for Orville on August 19; speakers; exhibits; static
aircraft displays -- including the first NPS plane - a 1928 Fairchild
FC-2W2, and historic re-enactments. Normal park fees apply.
The First Flight Centennial Celebration will begin
on Dec. 12. The six-day event is designed to commemorate the last
century of flight; celebrate the achievements of aviators throughout
history; and inspire the next generation of aviators to further
the Wright brothers' dream.
Information about December centennial events is available
at http://www.firstflightcentennial.org.
For First Flight Centennial Celebration tickets,
visit http://www.wrightbrothers.reserveworld.com,
or call (800) 973-7327 or (301) 722-1257 (for callers outside the
United States).
NATIONAL AVIATION DAY CELEBRATIONS
AT WRIGHT BROTHERS NATIONAL MEMORIAL
Tuesday, August 19-Friday, August
22, 2003
First Flight Centennial Pavilion Auditorium
(unless otherwise noted)
| Tuesday, August 19, 2003 |
| NATIONAL AVIATION DAY -- ORVILLE WRIGHT'S BIRTHDAY |
| 10:30 a.m. |
Welcome by National Park Service |
| 10:35 a.m. |
Unveiling of last in a series of four Wright
brothers-related dry brush watercolor portraits by Marsha Mills,
entitled "Past, Present, Future" - an aerial "shot" of the first
powered flight. |
| 10:45 a.m. |
"Katharine Wright", the Wright brothers' younger
sister, portrayed by actress Beverly Jones, will give a talk
about Orville. There will be a birthday cake and an opportunity
for everyone to sing "Happy Birthday". |
| 10:50 a.m. |
Tom Crouch, Senior Curator, Division of Aeronautics,
National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution to give
a talk on the Wright brothers. |
| 11:30 a.m. |
Tom Crouch will sign copies of his book, "First
Flight: The Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Airplane" |
11:30 a.m. to
4:00 p.m. |
(At Camp Buildings) Kill Devil Hills Lifesaving
Station descendants to give interpretive talks |
| 12:30 p.m. |
Captain Ryan Boyle, C-5 Airlift Transport pilot,
United States Air Force, Dover, Delaware to speak on his airplane
and his involvement in the Iraqi campaign. |
| 2:00 p.m. |
Larry Parks, The Wright Experience to give presentation
and carving demonstration on the Wright brothers' propellers.
Mr. Parks carved the actual propellers for the reproduction
of the 1903 Wright Flyer that will attempt the re-creation of
Orville's first flight at 10:35 in the morning on December 17,
2003. |
| 2:00 p.m. |
(At Pavilion Exhibit Hall) Author Suzanne Tate
to sign copies of her children's book "Helping the Wright Brothers
- A Tale of the First Flight Helpers". |
Interpretive
staff to give programs throughout the day.
An exhibit from the U.S. Coast Guard - Elizabeth City will
be on display at the Pavilion. |
| Wednesday, August 20, 2003 |
| First Flight Centennial Pavilion Auditorium |
| 11:00 a.m. |
Captain Ryan Boyle, C-5 Airlift Transport pilot,
United States Air Force, Dover, Delaware to speak on his airplane
and his involvement in the Iraqi campaign. |
| 1:00 p.m. |
Larry Parks, The Wright Experience to give presentation
and carving demonstration on the Wright brothers' propellers.
Mr. Parks carved the actual propellers for the reproduction
of the 1903 Wright Flyer that will attempt the re-creation of
Orville's first flight at 10:35 in the morning on December 17,
2003. |
Interpretive
staff to give programs throughout the day.
An exhibit from the U.S. Coast Guard - Elizabeth City will
be on display at the Pavilion. |
| Thursday, August 21, 2003 |
| First Flight Centennial Pavilion Auditorium |
11:00 a.m.
and
2 p.m. |
Dr. Stanley Woodard, NASA/Langley to speak about
Wright brothers and space ravel. |
Interpretive
staff to give programs throughout the day.
An exhibit from the U.S. Coast Guard - Elizabeth City will
be on display at the Pavilion. |
| Friday, August 22, 2003 |
| First Flight Centennial Pavilion Auditorium |
11:00a.m.
and
2:00 p.m. |
National Agricultural Association
President Dennis Stokes to speak on the role of aviation in
agriculture. Crop duster on static display. Other agricultural
exhibits on display. |
Interpretive
staff to give programs throughout the day.
An exhibit from the U.S. Coast Guard - Elizabeth City will
be on display at the Pavilion. |
Contact:
Erin Porter
Centennial Planning Office
Tel: 252 441 6291, ext. 224
ErinPorterNPS@aol.com
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