JANUARY ACTIVITY REPORT
**The next U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission meeting will be January 30, 2002. The next First Flight Centennial Federal Advisory Board meeting will be held
March 21, 2002. PLEASE NOTE DATE CHANGE!**
What’s Taking Flight:
AIAA is hosting the Evolution of Flight Committee meeting in Reno on January 14, 2002.
The first media summit has been scheduled for January 29, 2002 at NASA in Washington, D.C. to discuss national media relations strategies.
Plans are underway for a meeting with all divisions of National Geographic to discuss their coverage of the Centennial celebration. In addition, CRT has established contact with producers at morning shows, networks and other publications including The Today Show, National Geographic, MSNBC, The Mini Pages and USA Today. CRT is currently working to schedule a New York media tour for February to meet with the producers and editors at several organizations to discuss opportunities for Centennial coverage.
CRT will be pitching the Gus McLeod story in February. CRT is currently pitching to travel publications and travel reporters at daily newspapers, as well as human interest stories as they arise.
MOA has been signed with The Wright Experience and a press release regarding the agreement has been sent out to the media. An MOA with the U.S. Air Force is in the signature loop. A press release regarding the agreement has been written and will be distributed once the agreement is signed.
Partnership Updates:
Austin Wiswell, Chief of the Division of Aeronautics of the California Department of Transportation has sent a letter to aviation interest groups, airports in California and aviation and aerospace museums in California encouraging them to celebrate the centennial of flight. The contact is Teresa Ishikawa @dot.ca.gov
On January 8, 2002, we met with Dr. Fopp and Mr. Ifould of the Royal Air Force Museum to discuss opportunities to link celebrations in the U.S. and the United Kingdom in December 2003.
We are making progress on our licensing agreement with C. Forbes, Inc. This will be on the agenda of the January 30 Commission meeting.
We have had several discussions with Tom Norton of The Wright Redux Association in Glen Ellyn, Ill., who is working with his team and The Museum of Science and Industry Chicago (MSI), to build a 1903 Wright Flyer replica that will be flown on the lawn of the MSI, December 17, 2003. He is very eager to become a part of the Centennial celebration.
CRT met with Gus McLeod and several members of the Tuskegee Airmen. Gus is planning a trip to circumnavigate the poles and would like to complete his trip in conjunction with the Centennial celebration and the 60th anniversary of the deployment of the Tuskegees.
We have also been in contact with Disney and Discovery and will continue to pursue opportunities for their involvement.
CRT is scheduling a meeting with the ATA’s marketing committee for January.
Primedia is going to follow through with the Moments in Flight segments. Plans include one hundred 90-second news segments featuring Cliff Robertson. An example will be showcased at an upcoming Commission meeting.
Met with members of the Federal Interagency Committee on Education, demonstrated several aspects of the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission’s Web site, and distributed Wright brothers posters and bookmarks.
Attended the quarterly meeting of the National Coalition for Aviation Education (NCAE), walked the membership through the Commission’s Web site, and encouraged all members to use the calendar to post their events. NCAE’s membership currently includes more than 50 aerospace-related organizations, industry, and government.
We conducted an hour-long live video teleconference (ViTS)/webcast/webchat for the public on December 13 that highlighted events that preceded and followed the first powered flight and the various components of the Commission’s Web site.
We met with Gordon Clapp, Paul Dordal, and Larry Brewley of the Festival of Flight to discuss educational initiatives and exhibits for the 11 day event that will take place 5/16-26, 2003.
Outreach Activity:
Media Relations
Secretary Mineta spoke at Reagan National Airport to a group of about 800 children in honor of the Wright brothers’ 98th anniversary celebration on December 17, 2001. The speech that was prepared for Secretary Mineta included key messages about the centennial celebration and encouraged the children to find and pursue their own dreams, much like the Wright brothers.
Secretary Mineta’s speech was pitched to the media in conjunction with the release of the National Plan for The Centennial of Flight Commemoration. As a result, the Charlotte Observer ran a story on December 17 that was picked up by the Associated Press and run by several other papers. Known coverage on the National Plan includes: The Charlotte Observer, Daily Press, Delaware Gazette, Norwalk Reflector, Daily Chief Union, Sandusky Register, Review Times, Dayton Daily News and the Columbus Dispatch.
Media lists have been completed for aviation publications; travel publications; top daily newspapers, including science reporters, travel reporters and education reporters; military publications; education publications; news wires and monitory niche publications. Relationships with reporters at the Washington Post, Charlotte Observer, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Virginian-Pilot and several other regional papers have been established and the reporters have expressed a great deal of interest in covering the celebration and events leading up to December 17, 2003. Contacts have also been made with editors at Popular Science and Popular Mechanics. CRT is continuously working to establish relationships with reporters at our targeted publications.
We are continuing to work on the media kit and the brochure. Both should be finalized and ready for production in February.
An article about the Commission and the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission’s Web site appeared in the November issues of Cessna’s and Piper’s monthly magazines. An article about the anniversary of flight and the Commission’s Web site was also posted in the Orbit, a quarterly NASA educational newsletter that reaches approximately 5000 teachers.
Press Releases
A number of press releases have been issued recently announcing memoranda of agreements that have been signed. They are available on the COFC Web site at http://www.centennialofflight.gov/aboutcommission.htm.
Press releases/announcements:
January 8, 2002 – Air Transport Association Partners with Aviation Week to Promote the Future of Flight
December 17, 2001 – U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission Reveals National Plan for 2003 Celebration
December 17, 2001 – Chairman Walker Comments on 98th Anniversary of Flight, Wright Brothers Achieved Success on December 17, 1903
December 17, 2001 – AIAA Evolution of Flight Campaign Update
December 12, 2001 – 2002 AIAA Art Contest
December 12, 2001 – AIA Calls for Structural Changes to Invigorate U.S. Aerospace Industry
December 6, 2001 – Inventing Flight Announces Major Sponsor Relationship, 2003 Centennial Celebration Secures Balloon Events Sponsor
November 26, 2001 – Inventing Flight Honors John Warlick at Annual Meeting, Founder of Wright “B” Flyer Inc. Given 2001 Ivonette Wright Miller Award
November 16, 2001 – Inventing Flight Sponsors Arts Projects Grants, Special Project Grants to Focus on the Theme of Flight
October 29, 2001 – Aviation Week and National Business Aviation Association Partner to Promote Aviation Educations and Careers
October 25, 2001 – Inventing Flight Offers Sneak Preview of Curriculum, John Glenn Introduces First Segment of Six
October 23, 2001 – Inventing Flight and FAA Announce Essay Contest
Articles/Interviews
The Charlotte Observer, Dayton Daily News, The Washington Post’s Kids Post
Web site Updates
New additions to our web site include essays and images under “The History of Aviation.”
CRT met with the Web designers to discuss changes to the Commission’s home page. We discussed making the site more interactive for visitors and more engaging on the home page. We are currently exploring a variety of new ideas.
A third educational poster is under development for use on the COFC’s website. The front will feature the poster disseminated in Air & Space Magazine’s May 1998 issue. Educational activities are being developed for the back.
Completed Events:
Sean O’Keefe was sworn in as the 10th NASA Administrator on December 21, 2001.
First Flight Centennial Commission Quarterly Meeting took place December 18, 2001. On December 16, there was a Dare County Regional Airport Open House. December 17th was a full day of activities to include the First Flight Society Luncheon and Annual Meeting and the Wright Brothers Anniversary Reception and Ball.
President Bush issued a Wright Brothers Day Proclamation on December 17, 2001.
37th Annual Year-End Review and Forecast Luncheon was hosted by Aerospace Industries Association on December 12, 2001.
Wright Brothers Memorial Dinner was held at the Hilton Hotel. Dr. Neil Armstrong was honored this year with the Wright Memorial Trophy. Don Koranda, President, NAA, announced the release of the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission’s National Plan in his opening remarks.
Reflecting on a Century of Flight: Honoring the Past, Inventing the Future was held at the Carnegie Institution of Washington.
Sherry met with NASA Chief of Staff, head of Public Affairs, and Acting Administrator to brief them about the Centennial of Flight Commission.
Next Century of Flight Liftoff Site Picked as one of “the best new web sites for learning and leading” by Schools News, December 2001.