NOVEMBER ACTIVITY REPORT
The national kick-off ceremony will be held on December 17, 2002, at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. The Commission, CRT, N.C. and Ohio are working together to coordinate our three Centennial kick-off ceremonies. The Commission is working closely with NASA TV to provide a satellite downlink of the ceremony to our partners.
FAA and the Fayetteville Festival of Flight 2003 have been approved as U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission Partners.
The dates for the Rockefeller Center Expo have changed to July 28 – August 17, 2003. NASA, the Air Force and the EAA have been major contributors to the planning process and will continue to have a large impact on the event.
The Commission signed a licensing agreement with Custom Pin & Design on November 6, 2002.
The National Plan is being finalized now and will be circulated for comment and concurrence before it is published and distributed.
Natasha Baker who works with Inventing Flight had a baby girl on November 6, 2002. Mom and baby are doing well!
Partnership Updates:
December 18, 2002, the First Flight Centennial Commission will hold its quarterly meeting at the Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitors Center.
Paul Poberezny has been selected to receive the 2002 Wright Brothers’ Memorial Trophy, which will be presented on December 13.
December 11, 2002, Aerospace Industries Association will hold its 38th Annual AIA Year-End Review and Forecast Luncheon.
December 11-12, 2002, NASA Ames Research Center is hosting Aero Expo III in celebration of 100 years of flight. The event is designed to educate and inspire students and teachers in grades 5 – 8.
November 20, 2002, is Inventing Flight’s 2002 annual business meeting and reception. The Ivonette Wright Miller Award presentation will be made.
November 18, 2002, the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry released its final report at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
The AIAA 1903 Wright Flyer Centennial Tour and Exposition began September 26, 2002 at the FAA Flight Deck Museum in Lawndale, Calif., and will end December 2, 2003. Additionally, the AIAA Wright Flyer team will attempt to actually fly a second replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer in 2003.
Steve Merritt who heads the World Flight 2003 effort for the N.C. Department of Transportation will work with the Department of Cultural Resources as the liaison between the First Flight Centennial Commission and all other groups involved in the statewide centennial celebration.
In November, work will begin on the First Flight Centennial Pavilion with the concrete floor pad and footings. American Airlines is both a Proud Partner of America’s National Parks and an Official First Flight Centennial Sponsor.
As part of the centennial commemoration, NASA Ames Research Center is collaborating with Cislunar Aerospace Inc. on a unique educational project, “Wright Again.” The project virtually re-creates the development and construction of the Wright Flyer on the Web (www.wrightagain.com). Part of the project involves wind tunnel testing of replica and original airfoil models. Wright brothers’ artifacts have been borrowed from the Franklin Institute Science Museum for testing and display at Ames.
There is an upcoming Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine Centennial Kick-Off Report and 2003 Centennial Collectible Issues series. The Kick-Off report will be published December 16, 2002.
The U.S. Air Force Museum will be the site of a New Years Eve Celebration, “Cleared for Take-Off,” that will feature The Drifters. “Cleared for Take-Off” is the theme for this official kick-off to Dayton’s yearlong centennial of flight celebration.
Lisa Sizemore has replaced Catharine Peterson as the WPAFB 2003 Celebration Lead at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. She can be reached at Lisa.Sizemore@wpafb.af.mil or 937-255-1754.
Tom Zoeller has left the FAA and accepted a position with the American Association of Airport Executives as Vice President for Regulatory Affairs. He can be reached at 703-824-0504.
The FAA Ft. Worth employee association is making up t-shirts with the Commission logo for their employees.
Inventing Flight merchandise, introduced at the 2002 Dayton Air Show, is now available at local Dayton retailers.
The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum provides three residential fellowships to support research in aerospace history. The application deadline for the academic year 2002-2003 is January 15, 2003. Further information can be found at www.nasm.edu/nasm/joinnasm/fellow/fellow.htm.
To Reach The High Frontier: A History of the U.S. Launch Vehicles edited by Roger Launius and Dennis Jenkins published by The University Press of Kentucky is now available. The report of the Apollo 13 Review Board is now available at history.nasa.gov/ap13rb/ap13index.htm.
Outreach Activity:
CRT has been working to coordinate the national kick-off at the National Air and Space Museum on December 17. All of the invitations have gone out and the aviation pioneers who were selected to participate in the ceremony have been confirmed. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, Administrator Blakey of the FAA and Administrator O’Keefe of NASA, and NASM Director and Chair of the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission General Dailey will be participating in the ceremony. NASA TV has agreed to broadcast the event. If you have any questions about the kick-off, please contact CRT.
The centennial kick-off event will be featured as a front-page article in the December issue of Space Day Communique.
Worked with a designer for the Army Air Force Exchange Service headquarters in Dallas, Texas. They are developing a Centennial of Flight poster for 2003 that includes the Commission logo and will be posted at the front entry of every military exchange worldwide (over 200 exchanges).
Primedia will give the Commission one full page for promotional purposes in three of their magazine specials.
Approved the use of the Commission logo on government aircraft. Working with the Interagency Committee for Aviation Policy.
Contacted by the project manager of the Texas “Centennial of Flight Celebration.” Texas Monthly Magazine will be writing an article to promote their event statewide.
The 2003 National Aviation Research Plan (NARP) is a congressionally-mandated annual report by the FAA of their research programs. The 2003 NARP is expected to go to Congress with the President’s Budget in February 2003 and may have a commemorative illustration related to the centennial of flight on the back cover.
The Toy Book, the toy industry’s official trade publication, will note in their December NEWS Section our licensing agreement with Spin Master Toys and will display the Commission logo.
Milestones of the First Century of Flight will be presented by the Aerospace Industries Association of America, Inc.
Commission staff has contacted USAopoly and told them we are not interested in a centennial of flight monopoly game.
Media Relations
CRT has been working to secure network coverage for the December 17 kick-off ceremony. So far two major networks are seriously considering a split broadcast that morning. CRT issued an initial press release to announce the event and will follow up announcing the confirmation of an emcee and other details. CRT will be pitching the national networks, local affiliates, major news magazines, the top newspapers, radio and wire services.
Web site
We are currently redesigning the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission Web site. The current Education Resources Matrix is being reformatted and updated. CRT is planning a media relations push to drive people to the site once the redesigned site is launched in December.
The Wright Experience’s 1899 Kite has been added to our Web site.
We have added a new category – “Licensed Products” – to our Web site.
Upcoming additions to our Web site include the 12th and 13th categories of essays. We have also received the Chronology, the Log Book and the Pictorial Bibliography of the Wright brothers from the Library of Congress.
The First Century of Flight: NACA/NASA Contributions to Aeronautics is on-line at history.nasa.gov/centtimeline/index.html.
Press Releases
A number of press releases have been issued recently and are available on the COFC Web site at www.centennialofflight.gov/aboutcommission.htm.
November 18, 2002 – U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission Welcomes the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Festival of Flight 2003 as Partners
November 18, 2002 – Aerospace Commission Releases Final Report
November 14, 2002 – Born of Dreams – Inspired by Freedom, National Centennial of Flight Celebration Prepares for Take-off
November 12, 2002 – International Aviation Photographers to focus on Dayton in 2003
November 5, 2002 – U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission Signs Licensing Agreement with Spin Master Toys
October 31, 2002 – Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry Study Shows Economic Importance of U.S. Aerospace and Aviation Industry at the National, State and Local Levels
October 29, 2002 – Virginia Air & Space Center, DGVF Productions Join Centennial Celebration
October 28, 2002 – Dayton and Inventing Flight Play Host to Centennial of Flight Federal Commission
Articles/Interviews
Los Angeles Times; SPACENEWS; Newsobserver.com; Flight International; Houston Chronicle; U.S. Newswire; Aerospace Daily; Continental Airlines Magazine; Dayton Daily News; Denver Post; Chicago Tribune; Flight International; Boston Globe; Sky Writings; Scholastic; The Canadian Press; SPACE TIMES; Association for Library Service to Children; Engineering Times; Indiana Professional Engineer; The Nebraska; American Federation of Teachers; The Technology Teacher; techdirections; Next Century of Flight; National Science Teachers Association; USA TODAY Education; Virginia Engineer; State Education Association; Skywritings Magazine; Air & Space Magazine; and the Washington Post.