Kill Devil Hills, NC
December 9, 2003

Event organizers have announced programming for December 14th during First Flight Centennial Celebration at Wright Brothers National Memorial, taking place December 12-17. Themed "Remember the Past, Imagine the Future", programming for Sunday will celebrate aviation's impact over the last century with featured appearances by historic aviators; exhibits chronicling this history of flight; aircraft demonstrations and musical entertainment. Gates and exhibits open each day at 8 a.m., with exhibits closing at 4 p.m. and gates closing at 5 p.m.

Sunday's Main Stage highlights include a welcome from the National Park Service's Lawrence A. Belli, Superintendent Outer Banks Group; Dare County Commissioner Cheryl Byrd and Wright Brothers National Memorial Historian Darrell Collins. The U.S. Coast Guard of Oregon Inlet Station will present the colors, and Dr. David Daniels will give the invocation. A musical performance, including the singing of the National Anthem, will be given by the Elizabeth City State University Choir. The Temptations will perform at 1 p.m.

Sunday's noon air show will feature Michael Mancuso, Matt Hall, Patty Wagstaff and Bobby Younkin. The 2:30 air show performers will be the AeroShell Aerobatic Team and Ian Groom, along with commemorative aircraft flyovers.

In the First Flight Centennial Pavilion Auditorium, the day will be kicked off at 8:30 a.m. with a program entitled "Good Morning First Flight", featuring an aviation film entitled "Colonel Bob and the B-1 Bomber". Sunday's speakers on the Pavilion Stage include Colonel Bob Morgan, pilot of the Memphis Belle, at 9 a.m. followed by Tom Crouch, Senior Curator, Division of Aeronautics, National Air and Space Museum at 10:30 a.m. Dr. Crouch will participate in a book signing afterward. In addition, the First Flight Centennial Pavilion will feature its current exhibits from NASA, the United States Air Force, The Outer Banks History Center, General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and North Carolina's First Flight Centennial Commission.

On-site exhibits are filled with interactive activities to educate visitors and engage them in the wonders of flight. Confirmed on-site exhibitors for the six-day celebration include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); the United States Air Force; the United States Coast Guard; the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA); the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA); Dare County Schools; the United States Postal Service, and the First Flight Society. Static aircraft will also be on display throughout the park.

The park's Visitor Center will house an exhibit of Wright brothers' artifacts from the Museo Aeronautico Gianni Caproni in Italy. Park rangers will give interpretive talks on the hour, and featured guest speakers will include representatives from the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots), the Ninety-Nines and the Tuskegee Airmen. Wright Flyer Sculpture Dedication: On Sunday at 11 a.m. a special dedication ceremony with descendants of the Wright Family and witness descendants will take place at the Wright Flyer Sculpture. Stephen Smith's bronze and stainless steel life-size sculpture celebrating the first moment of flight features Orville and Wilbur Wright and John Daniels. The remaining witnesses, Adam Etheridge Will Dough, W.C. Brinkley and Johnny Moore will be added one at a time at future December 17th anniversary celebrations.

All of the most recent information on the First Flight Centennial Celebration can be accessed at the Centennial website on http://www.firstflightcentennial.org. Friday, December 12 is a non-ticketed day. December 16 and 17 are sold out. General Admission tickets for December 13-15 are still available for purchase for $10 per day until the daily 35,000-ticket limit has been reached. Ticket sales must be made in person from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the Fort Raleigh Visitor Center in Manteo, NC. Forms of payment include personal checks, cash, MasterCard or Visa credit cards. Phone orders will not be accepted.

For information on accommodations, check the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau website at http://www.outerbanks.org or call their toll-free number at (877) 298-4373. For information on the event's transportation plan, see http://www.ncdot.org/news/centennialceleb11_03.html

Contact:

Erin Porter Centennial Planning Office
Tel: 252 441 6291, ext. 224
ErinPorterNPS@aol.com