Silver Spring, Md.
September 17, 2003

"Successful four flights Thursday morning all against twenty-one mile wind started from level with engine power alone." With this simple statement in a telegraph to his father on December 17, 1903, Orville Wright described one of the most important achievements of the 20th century: Man had taken to the sky with the first-ever sustained powered flight. But how did he and his brother Wilbur, two bicycle builders from Dayton, Ohio, engineer such a remarkable triumph? On Friday, September 19, from 8-10 p.m. (ET/PT), the Discovery Channel will celebrate the 100th anniversary of this historic accomplishment with THE WRIGHT BROTHERS: FIRST IN FLIGHT, an in-depth look at exactly what it took to create such an ingenious craft in the early 1900s while following a modern-day team of scientists, historians and top experts as they attempt to bring that momentous first flight back to life in 2003.

THE WRIGHT BROTHERS: FIRST IN FLIGHT follows a team of multidisciplinary experts as they work to re-create and fly the Wright Flyer aircraft used to make that first journey over the dunes near Kitty Hawk, N.C. The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) has led efforts to reconstruct the Wright brothers' first flight on December 17, 2003 - 100 years to the minute after the actual historic flight - through its Countdown to Kitty Hawk, presented by Ford Motor Company. As part of this initiative, EAA commissioned The Wright Experience of Warrenton, Va., to build a 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction for its program. Ken Hyde, a retired American Airlines pilot, has led The Wright Experience in developing EAA's flyer reproduction. Together, Hyde and his team have meticulously re-created every detail of the aircraft - from the type of wood used to the exact placement of each and every rivet - culminating in the world's only accurate reproduction of the Wrights' 1903 flyer. As part of EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk, the 1903 Wright flyer reproduction has traveled the country this year to celebrate the centennial of flight.

THE WRIGHT BROTHERS: FIRST IN FLIGHT is the first of two specials being produced by the Discovery Channel. The second picks up on the morning of December 17, 2003, exactly 100 years to the minute after the first flight, when Countdown to Kitty Hawk will attempt to fly its 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction near Kitty Hawk, N.C., at the Wright Brothers National Memorial. Just as the Wrights did, the pilot of EAA's 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction will be determined by the flip of a coin. Countdown to Kitty Hawk officials named two Pilots of the Century in late July to pilot its flyer in December. On the evening of December 17, this momentous attempt and the celebration of the 100th anniversary will debut in a special presentation featuring footage of the attempted flight of EAA's Wright Flyer reproduction followed by an encore performance of THE WRIGHT BROTHERS: FIRST IN FLIGHT.

THE WRIGHT BROTHERS: FIRST IN FLIGHT makes its world television premiere on the Discovery Channel on Friday, September 19, airing 8-10 p.m. (ET/PT). The special repeats on the Discovery Wings Channel on Saturday, October 4 at 8 p.m. (ET/PT).

THE WRIGHT BROTHERS: FIRST IN FLIGHT is produced for the Discovery Channel by Base Productions, Inc.; Mickey Stern is executive producer. Stephen Reverand is executive producer for Discovery Channel.

In addition to the Discovery Channel specials in September and December, Discovery Channel School and Ford Motor Company have formed a partnership to commemorate the 2003 centennial of the Wright brothers' first powered flight. The collaboration celebrates the vital relationship between science and society and the ingenuity of Henry Ford, Edsel B. Ford and the Wright brothers - some of American's greatest innovators. A "Science of Flight - Spirit of Innovation" multimedia kit, custom-published by Discovery Channel School with support from Ford Motor Company, will provide multiple perspectives on innovation for middle school teachers (grades five through nine) of physical science and social studies to explore with their students. Beginning this month, every middle school in the country will receive a kit free of charge, which includes two videos, a classroom poster, a 16-page teacher resource guide and a reproducible, take-home magazine master with independent student activities. Teachers can find additional resources online at http://www.discoveryschool.com.

Discovery Channel is one of the United States' largest cable television networks, serving 87.7 million households across the nation with the finest in informative entertainment. Discovery Networks, U.S., a unit of Discovery Communications, Inc., operates and manages the Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, the Travel Channel, Discovery Health Channel, Discovery HD Theater, Discovery Kids Channel, Discovery Times Channel, The Science Channel, Discovery Home & Leisure Channel, Discovery Wings Channel, Discovery en Español and The Health Network. The unit also distributes BBC America.

EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk is a centennial celebration of the Wright brothers' first powered flight - an innovation that forever changed our world. Led by EAA, presented by Ford Motor Company and supported by Microsoft Flight Simulator, Eclipse Aviation and Northrop Grumman Corp, this yearlong series of inspirational events honors the innovation and determination it takes to make world-changing dreams a reality. Countdown to Kitty Hawk features an interactive touring pavilion and the world's most-accurate 1903 Wright flyer reproduction built by The Wright Experience that will exclusively re-enact the Wright brothers' first flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C., on December 17, 2003 - exactly 100 years later. For more information, go to http://www.countdowntokittyhawk.org.

Contact:

Tim DeClaire,
Discovery Channel
240-662-2932,
tim_declaire@discovery.com

Paige Johnson
Ford Motor Company
(O) 313.248.6820
(C) 313.598.3109
pjohns29@ford.com