Fayetteville, North Carolina
December 6, 2002

Organizers for Festival of Flight 2003 today announced that Snoopy will serve as the Festival's official mascot, appearing at events both during and leading up to the Festival next May. The Festival will also serve as the site for the national premiere of a PBS documentary, Kitty Hawk, The Wright Brother's Journey of Invention, and for continued screenings of the first film to win an Academy Award for best picture, "Wings," produced in 1927. Other announcements included the Festival's participation in Aviation Week's Next Century of Flight Forum, a worldwide series of workshops and lectures dedicated to invigorating the spirit of innovation in all industries that value science and technology.

Snoopy to Serve as Official Mascot

Charles Schulz's lovable character, Snoopy, will attend Festival of Flight, serving as the Festival's official mascot in May, 2003. Snoopy will attend various events during the Festival, greeting children and adults alike, eager to meet America's favorite beagle. Well known for his daydreams flying as a World War I bomber ace, Snoopy is a natural fit for this celebration of flight. Snoopy is also scheduled to appear at a Fayetteville Fire Antz hockey match, January 19, 2003, at the Crown Coliseum and at a Carolina Hurricanes match on January 20, 2003, at the RBC Center. Other appearances prior to the Festival have not yet been announced.

Premiere of PBS Documentary,
Kitty Hawk, The Wright Brothers' Journey of Invention

The Wright brothers' intriguing story culminating in their triumphant 1903 flight is the subject of David Garrigus's two-hour documentary, Kitty Hawk, The Wright Brothers' Journey of Invention. The film will be broadcast on PBS stations nationwide in September, 2003, with its premiere at Festival of Flight in May, 2003. The film is regarded as the definitive documentary following the fascinating events that lead to Orville's famous first flight. In the words of on Wright brothers' biographer, "Garrigus's scrupulous attention to historic detail and breathtaking film work will bring the Wright Brothers to life as no other film ever has." Details on the film's premiere at the Festival will follow. For more information on the documentary itself, visit www.davidgarrigus.com.

Best Picture Winner, Wings, to be Screened at Festival

Wings, the first feature film to win the Best Picture Academy Award, will be shown during Festival of Flight. The film starred Gary Cooper and is considered a masterpiece of silent cinema, with its stunning photography, death-defying stunts and documentary-like realism. Indeed, it still stands today as a pioneering motion picture achievement, having won both Best Picture and Best Engineering Effects in 1927. Wings was originally released just three months after Charles Lindbergh's historic trans-Atlantic flight. During the Festival, the film will be screened regularly in Fayetteville's historic art house theater, the Cameo, which seats just 125 people. An organist will accompany each screening, recreating the feel of the film's original release 76 years ago.

Aviation Week's Next Century of Flight to Visit Fayetteville

As a part of its partnership with the Festival, Aviation Week will host its Next Century of Flight Forum during the Festival of Flight in Fayetteville. The forum is a worldwide series of leadership workshops dedicated to invigorating communities to seize the spirit of innovation and direct it to economic development efforts that value science and technology. With national and community leaders brought together, the forum guides discussions toward recommitting industry to the pioneering spirit, so intrinsic to the Wright brothers' success. During the two-day forum, participants will identify critical workforce opportunities for growth and competitiveness and produce a blueprint for developing and motivating the workforce of the future. For more information about the Forum, contact Chris Meyer at (212) 904-3255, or chris_meyer@AviationNow.com.

About Festival of Flight, 2003

Festival of Flight 2003, North Carolina's largest public celebration of the centennial of flight, will run from May 16 to 26, 2003. Expected to draw over a half million people, the Festival will feature extensive exhibits from NASA and the United States Air Force, interactive displays from all branches of the military, exhibits from the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, static displays of current and vintage aircraft, both military and general aviation air shows and daily flight demonstrations with a replica of the Wright Brothers' famous 1903 Wright Flyer. The Festival will also host 5,000 students from across North Carolina in special educational programs, including a live satellite link with the International Space Station. For more information about Festival of Flight, visit www.festivalofflight.org.

Contact:

Margee Herring
910-763-4439