Dozens of airplanes from the '20s and '30s depart the Detroit area
on a 4,000-mile journey to celebrate an era that introduced America to safe, reliable air travel
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Sept. 8, 2003
Cities across the eastern United
States are about to experience a time warp. More than 25
rare, historic aircraft from the '20s and '30s departed
today from Willow Run Airport in the metropolitan Detroit
area for a 4,000-mile journey to 26 cities across the
eastern United States.
The aerial armada, known as the National Air Tour 2003, is the historic
flight re-creation of the National Air Tours that took place annually
from 1925-31 to introduce America to the concept of civil and commercial
flight.
"This year marks a centennial since the Wright brothers demonstrated
that powered flight was possible. As we travel from city to city in
these rare, antique airplanes, we hope to share the story of a
rather romantic period in history known as the Golden Age of
Aviation" said Greg Herrick, president of the Aviation Foundation of
America, the nonprofit group responsible for organizing the Tour.
"The National Air Tour 2003 represents this Golden Age and laid the
groundwork for our modern system of air travel by promoting such
basic concepts as safety, reliability and even all-metal aircraft."
In its own centennial year, Ford Motor Company is celebrating
100 years of powered flight and its rich aviation heritage by sponsoring
the National Air Tour 2003 - just as it did the original tours.
Ford, Lindbergh Among Dignitaries at Departure Ceremony
Edsel B. Ford
II, honorary chairperson for the National Air Tour 2003, and Erik
Lindbergh, pilot and grandson of "Golden Age" pilot Charles Lindbergh,
were among the dignitaries at the departure ceremony. Edsel B. Ford II,
waved the starter flag, just as his grandfather, Edsel B. Ford, did for
the 1925 National Air Tour. Erik Lindbergh departed with the Tour to fly
the first leg to the Lansing Municipal Airport in the Chicago area.
Charles Lindbergh planned to attend the departure of the 1928 National
Air Tour, but had a forced landing in a potato patch 50 miles outside
Detroit.
Route of the National Air Tour 2003 - Sept. 8-24weather permitting
The National Air Tour 2003 will fly a route that was
planned, but never flown, for a 1932 Tour. The Tour will fly to the
following cities in order: Depart, Detroit area; Kalamazoo, Mich.; South
Bend, Ind.; Chicago/Lansing, Ill.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Wausau, Wis.;
Minneapolis, Minn.; Mason City, Iowa; Des Moines, Iowa; Kansas City,
Mo.; Wichita, Kan.; Tulsa, Okla.; Fort Worth, Texas; Shreveport, La.;
Little Rock, Ark.; Memphis, Tenn.; Birmingham, Ala.; Atlanta, Ga.;
Greenville, S.C.; Winston-Salem, N.C.; Wilson, N.C.; Kill Devils Hills,
N.C. (Wright Brothers National Memorial); Richmond, Va.; Frederick, Md.;
Pittsburgh, Pa.; Dayton, Ohio; and return to the Detroit area on Sept.
24, weather permitting.
National Air Tour 2003 Departs on 4,000-mile, 26-city Journey
The complete
schedule including airports, arrival and departure times is available at
www.NationalAirTour.org. Any delays will be posted on the Web site.
Dozens of Rare Airplanes - the Kind in Museums
The aircraft on
Tour are among the best of America's vintage fleet and include Ford,
Stinson and Bushmaster Tri-Motors, Sikorsky flying boats and even open
cockpit biplanes designed to give pleasure rides. Each airplane is being
flown by volunteer pilots and crew from 20 states and Canada. Some
aircraft are original to the Tours and many are among only a handful
that remain in the world. The National Air Tour 2003 marks the first
time many of the aircraft will fly together since the Golden Age of
Aviation.
Follow the National Air Tour - in Real Time
Air enthusiasts who can't make it to a Tour stop can still be part of
the action - in real time - over the Internet using a technology
provided by Flight Explorer, partner of the National Air Tour 2003.
Visitors to www.NationalAirTour.org can see, on a map, the exact
location of the lead airplane during the times that the airplanes are in
the air. The information is updated every 30 seconds. Flight Explorer
helps its customers, such as airlines, keep track of airplanes worldwide
with its aircraft situation display.
Regular updates "from the air"
including photos and journal entries from the pilots will also be
available at www.NationalAirTour.org. Tour stop information, photos,
videos and more provide insight into the history of the original
National Air Tours.
National Air Tours of Yesterday and Today
One hundred years ago, the Wright brothers proved flight was possible.
From 1925-31, the National Air Tours demonstrated flight was safe and
practical.
The National Air Tours were conceived by a group of
"air-minded" Detroit businessmen, receiving significant support from
Henry Ford and his son, Edsel B. Ford, to introduce Americans to the
concept of air travel. During its seven-year run, the National Air Tours
traveled more than 29,000 miles and visited 114 cities, demonstrating
safe, reliable air travel to people who previously considered aviation a
military function or for daredevils.
By supporting the Tours
and lending the trusted Ford name, Henry Ford and Edsel Ford helped
convince a skeptical public that passenger flight was a sensible means
of transportation.
Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company
(NYSE: F) is the world's second-largest automaker with approximately 350,000
employees and dealerships in more than 200 markets on six continents.
Its automotive brands include Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda,
Mercury, Aston Martin and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include
Ford Credit, Hertz and Quality Care. The company's world headquarters is
in Dearborn, Mich. Ford Motor Company officially observed its 100th
anniversary on June 16, 2003. Additional information can be found on the
company's Web site at http://www.ford.com.
Aviation Foundation
of America Minneapolis-based Aviation Foundation of America is a 501(c)3
public charity designed to preserve and promote America's aviation
heritage at a grassroots level through initiatives such as historic
flight re-creations, airport preservation projects and educational
programs. The Aviation Foundation of America is an official partner of
the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission along with the FAA, NASA and
the Experimental Aircraft Association.
For additional
information about the National Air Tour 2003 please visit the media
center at www.NationalAirTour.org.
Contact:
Christian Markow
804.675.8153
cmarkow@crtpr.com
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