Organizations will promote anniversary of powered flight and reproduction
1903 Wright Flyer.
Washington,
D.C.
January 10, 2002
The
U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission and The Wright Experience of
Warrenton, Va., have entered into a memorandum of agreement that
will allow them to jointly promote the 100th anniversary of the
first powered flight in 2003.
The
Wright Experience, which is building an exact reproduction of the
Wrights' 1903 Wright Flyer, will receive national outreach support
from the Commission as a result of the agreement. In turn, The Wright
Experience will help promote the national outreach campaign, Centennial
of Flight: Born
of Dreams - Inspired by Freedom.
Ken
Hyde, executive director of The Wright Experience, and his team
of Wright devotees are working to rediscover the experimentation
and methodology of the Wrights' pursuit of flight. The task is particularly
difficult because the Wrights left very little documentation of
their work in an effort to hide their secrets and expertise from
imitators.
"Today
we see the magnificent evolution of the Wrights' original efforts,"
Hyde said. "Our quest is to discover how the first steps were
made - steps that are lost in history. We are confident that we
will retrace those steps and finish the first century of flight
as it began, by flying over the sands of Kitty Hawk. It will be
an amazing end to a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of both the realization
of dreams and the freedom of flight."
The
U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission was created by Congress to
coordinate and publicize the activities celebrating the 100th anniversary
of powered flight. The Wright Experience's 2003 Wright Flyer will
be an important part of the national celebration, which consists
of a range of events, activities and educational components. The
Wright Experience has contracted with the Experimental Aircraft
Association (EAA) to build the reproduction Flyer, known as the
2003 Wright Flyer, which will be flown at the Wright Brothers National
Monument in Kitty Hawk, N.C., at 10:35 a.m. on Dec. 17, 2003, exactly
100 years after the Wrights' first flight. Prior to that date, the
2003 Wright Flyer will tour the country as part of the EAA's centennial
celebration, Countdown to Kitty Hawk presented by Ford Motor Company.
"The
2003 Wright Flyer is an important educational tool because it is
so historically accurate," Commission Chairman Gen. J. R. ("Jack")
Dailey said. "The task Ken has undertaken to reproduce the
airships of the Wright brothers requires tremendous dedication and
innovation. The excitement and anticipation that will stem from
watching the 2003 Wright Flyer lift off the sands of Kitty Hawk
will be a fitting climax to the centennial celebration."
A
complete listing of Centennial events, as well as links to more
information about The Wright Experience and the 2003 Wright Flyer,
may be found 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 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 www.centennialofflight.gov.
About
The Wright Experience:
Based in Warrenton, Va., The Wright Experience was founded in 1997
and is dedicated to researching, reconstructing, testing, analyzing
and documenting authentic full-scale reproductions of the Wright
brothers' and other early aviator's developmental aircraft and engines.
Its work includes several accurate reproduction aircraft, as well
as historical research and analysis of their propellers and engines.
Current projects include the construction of the 1903 Flyer, 1901
Wind Tunnel tests and investigation of the Wright K Model propeller,
among others. More information about The Wright Experience can be
found online at www.wrightexperience.com.
Contact:
Christian Markow
U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission
804.675.8153
cmarkow@crtpr.com
Ferg Norton
First Flight Centennial Foundation
919.840.2003
fnorton@firstflightcentennial.org
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