Organizations will promote anniversary of powered flight and reproduction 1903 Wright Flyer.

Washington, D.C.
January 10, 2002

The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission and The Wright Experience of Warrenton, Va., have entered into a memorandum of agreement that will allow them to jointly promote the 100th anniversary of the first powered flight in 2003.

The Wright Experience, which is building an exact reproduction of the Wrights' 1903 Wright Flyer, will receive national outreach support from the Commission as a result of the agreement. In turn, The Wright Experience will help promote the national outreach campaign, Centennial of Flight: Born of Dreams - Inspired by Freedom.

Ken Hyde, executive director of The Wright Experience, and his team of Wright devotees are working to rediscover the experimentation and methodology of the Wrights' pursuit of flight. The task is particularly difficult because the Wrights left very little documentation of their work in an effort to hide their secrets and expertise from imitators.

"Today we see the magnificent evolution of the Wrights' original efforts," Hyde said. "Our quest is to discover how the first steps were made - steps that are lost in history. We are confident that we will retrace those steps and finish the first century of flight as it began, by flying over the sands of Kitty Hawk. It will be an amazing end to a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of both the realization of dreams and the freedom of flight."

The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission was created by Congress to coordinate and publicize the activities celebrating the 100th anniversary of powered flight. The Wright Experience's 2003 Wright Flyer will be an important part of the national celebration, which consists of a range of events, activities and educational components. The Wright Experience has contracted with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) to build the reproduction Flyer, known as the 2003 Wright Flyer, which will be flown at the Wright Brothers National Monument in Kitty Hawk, N.C., at 10:35 a.m. on Dec. 17, 2003, exactly 100 years after the Wrights' first flight. Prior to that date, the 2003 Wright Flyer will tour the country as part of the EAA's centennial celebration, Countdown to Kitty Hawk presented by Ford Motor Company.

"The 2003 Wright Flyer is an important educational tool because it is so historically accurate," Commission Chairman Gen. J. R. ("Jack") Dailey said. "The task Ken has undertaken to reproduce the airships of the Wright brothers requires tremendous dedication and innovation. The excitement and anticipation that will stem from watching the 2003 Wright Flyer lift off the sands of Kitty Hawk will be a fitting climax to the centennial celebration."

A complete listing of Centennial events, as well as links to more information about The Wright Experience and the 2003 Wright Flyer, may be found at www.centennialofflight.gov.

About the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission:
The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission was created by Congress to expand national and international interest in the commemoration of the centennial of powered flight. The Commission is coordinating a national outreach campaign and advising the President, Congress and federal agencies on the most effective ways to encourage and promote national and international participation in 2003. Its members include the director of the National Air and Space Museum, the administrators of NASA and the FAA, the presidents of the Experimental Aircraft Association and First Flight Centennial Foundation of North Carolina, and the chairman of Inventing Flight: Dayton 2003. More information about the Commission can be found on the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission Web site at www.centennialofflight.gov.

About The Wright Experience:
Based in Warrenton, Va., The Wright Experience was founded in 1997 and is dedicated to researching, reconstructing, testing, analyzing and documenting authentic full-scale reproductions of the Wright brothers' and other early aviator's developmental aircraft and engines. Its work includes several accurate reproduction aircraft, as well as historical research and analysis of their propellers and engines. Current projects include the construction of the 1903 Flyer, 1901 Wind Tunnel tests and investigation of the Wright K Model propeller, among others. More information about The Wright Experience can be found online at www.wrightexperience.com.

Contact:

Christian Markow
U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission
804.675.8153
cmarkow@crtpr.com

Ferg Norton
First Flight Centennial Foundation
919.840.2003
fnorton@firstflightcentennial.org