Fayetteville, N.C.
March 10, 2003

Festival of Flight's opening weekend will feature numerous hot air balloons tethered throughout downtown Fayetteville, but only one will be piloted by a Guinness World Record Holder and former U.S. National Women's Division Champion. Cheri White, pilot in command of the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives hot air balloon, will appear during Festival of Flight's opening ceremonies and arts festival on May 16 and 17, serving as an ambassador for North Carolina's Touchstone Energy cooperatives and demonstrating their support for the Festival. In addition to sending Ms. White and the hot air balloon, local Touchstone Energy cooperatives, including Central EMC, Four County EMC, Lumbee River EMC, South River EMC, and Tri-County EMC have also provided a financial contribution to further support the Festival which is North Carolina's largest public celebration of the centennial of flight.

"Innovation is one of the core values for Touchstone Energy cooperatives," said Jane Pritchard, director of corporate communications for North Carolina's Association of Electric Cooperatives. "And the history of flight is a history of courage, ingenuity and innovation. We are proud to be a part of Festival of Flight."

The balloon has participated in numerous events across the country, including the Kentucky Derby Festival in Louisville, KY; the Freedom Weekend Aloft in Anderson, SC; and Appalachian Summer Festival in Boone, NC. Ms. White and the balloon were also part of the Guinness World Record flight on December 8, 2001, for a record number of balloons crossing the Continental Divide in Breckenridge, Colorado.

North Carolina's 26 Touchstone Energy cooperatives are local, active members of their communities dedicated to serving commercial, industrial, agricultural and residential customers with integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community. Nationwide, close to 600 Touchstone Energy cooperatives in 44 states are delivering electric power and energy solutions to more than 16 million customers every day.

The Touchstone Energy balloon is a 69,000 cubic-foot hot-air balloon that stands over 72' tall, which is more than seven stories high, and 53 feet wide, when fully inflated. It is fired by dual propane burners and fueled by two 15-gallon propane tanks. The balloon is designed to compete in balloon events, balloon festivals, displays and other special events around the country and abroad.

Balloon pilots train under the same rigors as airplane pilots, studying instruments, weather, physics and navigation. Balloon pilots, like airplane pilots, must be licensed before they may fly. But unlike airplane pilots whose engines propel them forward, balloon pilots have to command the physics of air to move from place to place.

Festival of Flight's opening weekend arts festival, "Arts Take Flight," will be held on May 16 and 17, 2003. Opening ceremonies will feature the Fayetteville Symphony, the United States Air Force "Tops in Blue," and a fly-by of both military and general aviation aircraft. The keynote event on Friday evening is the unveiling of Star Gate 2003, an original kinetic sculpture by artist Tom Grubb. Throughout the weekend, events continue with a downtown arts festival, a general aviation air show, kite-flying demonstrations and student exhibits. The hot air balloons will be tethered during opening ceremonies, with some scheduled to fly during the general aviation air show on Sunday, May 18 at the Fayetteville Regional Airport.

Other balloonists participating in the Festival's opening weekend festivities include Don Cline of Greensboro, NC; Tom Lattin of Greenville, NC; Sam Parks of Statesville, NC; Ken Draughn of Burlington, NC; Mark Myer from Kentucky and Chip Parks of Fayetteville, NC, with the official North Carolina Hot Air Balloon, the Spirit of Kitty Hawk.

Festival of Flight 2003, North Carolina's largest public celebration of the centennial of flight, will run from May 16 to 26, 2003, and is expected to draw over a half million people. In addition to the weekend arts festival, the Festival will host a seven-day aviation exposition, a two-day military air show at Pope AFB, a general aviation air show at Grannis Field and a spectacular Memorial Day celebration. A yearlong educational curriculum has also been developed to compel students' interest in aviation and flight technology. This educational focus will culminate with one thousand students being sponsored each day for exclusive access to the Festival's Aviation Exposition. For more information about Festival of Flight, visit http://www.festivalofflight.org.

Contact:

Audrey Whaley
910-763-4439 (of)
910-231-9013 (mo)