Washington, D.C.
March 3, 2003

The Royal Aeronautical Society and Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts have signed agreements with the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission to become part of the yearlong celebration honoring the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first powered flight. As a result, the two organizations will become an official part of the Centennial of Flight: Born of Dreams - Inspired by Freedom celebration and will help promote the national commemoration. The Commission will, in turn, provide outreach support to The Royal Aeronautical Society and the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.

The Royal Aeronautical Society (http://www.aerosociety.com) holds a unique collection of letters from Wilbur, Orville and Katharine Wright that are currently housed in the organization's library. In total, there are about 113 original letters from the Wrights in the Royal Aeronautical Society's collection, including a large number of associated cablegrams between the Wrights. Together, they form a unique record of the growing appreciation of the Wrights' achievement, their relations with other early aviation pioneers and an informative insight into relations within the Wright family.

The Wright correspondence has been transcribed onto an electronic database in preparation for the publication of a proposed illustrated book coinciding with the 2003 celebration of the Wright brothers' first powered flight. The Royal Aeronautical Society - the oldest aeronautical society in the world - hopes the book will commemorate the achievement of the Wrights, and add to the existing knowledge about the brothers, as most of the material has never before been published.

To celebrate the centennial of flight, the Wolf Trap Foundation, located in Northern Virginia, has established an artistic direction for Face of America 2003 that captures the spirit of flight. Face of America, Wolf Trap's original, artistic, adventure series, celebrates its fellow National Parks using the rich language of the performing arts. The performance this year at Wolf Trap National Park in September will celebrate Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site and Wright Brothers National Memorial at Kitty Hawk.

Wolf Trap's Face of America 2003 will be a multimedia event featuring a live performance of a new, innovative dance by award winning choreographer Elizabeth Streb, whose dance will interpret the journey of flight. In addition, the performance at Wolf Trap National Park will include giant screen projection of spectacular high definition footage of Streb's work on location in Kitty Hawk, as well as a captivating montage to capture the spirit of flight.

"Wolf Trap plays a valuable leadership role in both the local and national performing arts communities, and Face of America 2003 will add a cultural, artistic element to the Centennial of Flight celebration," said General J.R. Dailey, chairman of the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission.

More information on the Centennial of Flight celebration is available online 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 100th anniversary of powered flight through a national awareness campaign, Centennial of Flight: Born of Dreams - Inspired by Freedom. More information about the Centennial of Flight and details about the events being planned may be found online at http://www.centennialofflight.gov.

About The Royal Aeronautical Society: The Royal Aeronautical Society is the global focal point for the entire aerospace community. It ensures the highest professional standards in all aerospace disciplines, is a unique source of specialist information and plays a leading role in influencing opinion on aviation matters. Founded in 1866, it is the world's foremost aerospace society.

About Wolf Trap: The Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts is a non-profit organization founded by Catherine Filene Shouse (1896-1994) that presents and produces a full-range of performance and education programs in the Greater Washington area, as well as nationally and internationally. Wolf Trap is home to two performance venues, the Filene Center-America's National Park for the Performing Arts, and The Barns of Wolf Trap, which operate year-round; the Wolf Trap Opera Company, one of America's outstanding resident ensemble programs for young opera singers; and Wolf Trap's education programs, which include the nationally acclaimed Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, scholarships, master classes and internships. The Filene Center, operated in partnership with the National Park Service, is a 7,028-seat outdoor pavilion that showcases an extensive list of diverse artists, ranging from pop, country, folk and blues, to orchestra, dance, theater, and opera, as well as innovative performance art and multimedia presentations, from May through September each year. Visit the Wolf Trap Web site at http://www.wolftrap.org for more information. Terrence D. Jones is president and CEO of the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.

Contact:

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