Washington, D.C.
Sept. 26, 2003

Think you know more than the weatherman? Will it rain, sleet or snow? And just how did weather affect the first flight of the Wright brothers in 1903? This fall, students in grades K-12 across the country can find out for themselves in a way that is about as hands on as you can get. The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity blending together science, math and history is part of a Web-based and classroom learning experience developed by the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission and The Franklin Institute Science Museum. The project challenges students to predict the weather conditions at Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, N.C, for Dec. 17, 2003. On that day, the world will watch man attempt to re-create the first flight with the most accurate reproduction of the 1903 flyer ever built.

Teachers will be able to access interactive Web learning modules, online quizzes, classroom activities and historical weather data that students can analyze as a basis for predicting the weather on Dec. 17, 2003. The site will highlight projects as Dec. 17 draws closer and will announce the winners shortly after the event.

Registration for the 2003 Flight Forecast contest is available through the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission Web site (www.centennialofflight.gov). Teachers may register their students for the contest from Sept. 26 to Nov. 3. The Commission will accept forecast predictions by students, teams or entire classes between Nov. 3 and Nov. 17. Once on the Web site, teachers also will find activities and information to help their students explore aviation and meteorology.

"The centennial of flight celebration is all about encouraging the next generation of inventors to rediscover the challenges of flight and to learn about the people, events and technology that made flight possible," said Gen. J.R. "Jack" Dailey, chairman of the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission. "The Franklin Institute has developed the 2003 Flight Forecast Web-based program, which allows teachers to tie science, math and history together in a fun, interactive way."

Forecasts will be collected in three grade groupings, K-4, 5-8 and 9-12, with the complexity of the forecast increasing at the higher grade levels. Forecasts must be submitted online no later than Nov. 17, 2003, and prizes will be available for the most accurate forecasters within each grade group.

The 2003 Flight Forecast program is a part of the national Centennial of Flight: Born of Dreams - Inspired by Freedom campaign coordinated by the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first powered flight. A number of educational materials and resources related to the history of flight are available at http://www.centennialofflight.gov.

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 http://www.centennialofflight.gov.

For more than 176 years, The Franklin Institute has been as much a part of the Philadelphia landscape as the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Situated on the prestigious Benjamin Franklin Parkway leading into Center City Philadelphia, the Institute attracts nearly 850,000 visitors every year to enjoy an exciting array of high tech, interactive exhibits. The Institute is most frequently visited museum in Pennsylvania, and third most-visited tourist attraction in the Philadelphia area. As the custodian of the Wright Aeronautical Engineering Collection, The Franklin Institute has a long history of preserving and celebrating the legacy of Orville and Wilbur Wright. For more information, please visit The Franklin Institute online at http://www.fi.edu.

Contact:

Julie Breissinger
U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission
804.675.8167
jbreissinger@crtpr.com