FEBRUARY ACTIVITY REPORT
Dr. Tom Crouch has been selected to receive the 2002 Smithsonian Distinguished Lecture Award.
On January 31, 2002, Sherry Foster met with Melissa Sabatine, Deputy Staff Director and Director of Public Affairs, Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry and discussed various ways we might work together. A presentation will be made to the staff of the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry on February 21, 2002.
A First Flight Centennial Celebration Steering Committee is scheduled from
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on February 27, 2002 in Atlanta.
Carter Ryley Thomas (CRT) has scheduled a meeting with the ATA’s marketing committee during their conference March 6 – 7 to update members on Centennial efforts.
The next First Flight Centennial Federal Advisory Board meeting is March 21, 2002.
A Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. Air Force is in the NASA signature loop. Three new MOA’s are in process with 3 Roads Communications, NASA and Aviation Specialty Resources, Inc.
The Commission’s Web site is a finalist in the VI Edition of the Pirelli INTERNETional Award 2001. The winner will be announced the first week of April.
CRT is currently scheduling a New York Media Tour for March. Appointments have been made with several major media outlets and CRT will continue to make contact with other organizations.
Partnership Updates
The Society for History in the Federal Government’s annual meeting is April 11, 2002 at the Library of Congress. Tom Crouch, Roger Launius, Tony Springer and Sherry Foster will form a panel to discuss “Beyond Commemoration: The Wright Brothers Hundredth Anniversary and Collective Memory.”
The International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences (ICAS) has reserved space on its calendar for a history of aeronautics session at its 23rd Congress set to be held in Toronto, Ontario, on September 8-13, 2002. ICAS is closely aligned with the AIAA and has asked the AIAA History Committee to organize a history session for the conference. A call for papers is out. More information is available on the ICAS Web site at www.icas.org
We met with Brad Horn, Executive Director of The Roger Richman Agency, Inc., after the January 30 Commission meeting. He attended the Commission meeting and heard for the first time about the wide variety of celebratory activities being planned. He’s anxious to begin to work together to better serve the larger cause. The Roger Richman Agency has rethought their approach to the Centennial celebration. Brad Horn is eager to find ways to work together, including more liberal use of Wright images for Centennial Partners. Brad Horn can be reached at 301-276-7000 extension 111.
As a result of the January 30 Commission meeting, the Commissioners will recommend that NASA sign the licensing agreement with C. Forbes, Inc. We have recently received a second licensing proposal from the D.R. Marketing Group, Ltd.
PRIMEDIA has recently unveiled plans to produce their Moments in Flight segments. They will be producing one hundred 90 second news segments featuring Cliff Robertson. An example was showcased at the January 30 Commission meeting and will also be shown at the March First Flight Centennial Federal Advisory Board meeting.
Maryland Historical Trust is in the process of raising funds to develop a historical context associated with the history of flight in Maryland; to conduct an inventory of historic sites, structures and objects associated with the history of flight in Maryland; and to conduct oral histories of individuals associated with the history of flight in Maryland. Their ultimate goal is to use this research to prepare an illustrated monograph on the history and significance of aviation in Maryland and to produce K-12 curricula.
Gen. Dailey met with Jacques Villain, Advisor for International Relations, Snecma, on January 16, 2002. Mr. Villain was interested in discussing areas of mutual interest and cooperation.
The Boeing Company Space and Communications announced the launch of their new magazine All Systems Go.
Outreach Activity:
Media Relations
An Emmy in the category of Children’s Program/Educational was awarded to the NASA Why? Files for the program the “Case of the Challenging Flight,” which focuses on the centennial. This particular show was the kick off for introducing viewers to the centennial theme and included an opening segment with General Dailey. The award was accepted February 2, 2002 at the 16th Annual Midsouth Regional Emmy Awards. The NASA Why? Files has since produced a second Centennial-related program, “The Wright Invention.”
We were contacted by the editor of a new air magazine in Costa Rica, Central America. Their first issue will be ready by the second week in April 2002. Their plans are to distribute 5,000 magazines free to pilots, mechanics, owners of airplanes, operators, travel agencies, exporters, importers, government people, and executives of the big companies of Costa Rica and some other countries. They have requested information about the centennial to include in their magazine and would like to have a Centennial section in every issue from now until December 17, 2003.
CRT pitched the Commission’s Web site to Yahoo Internet Life Magazine and the site has been selected to appear in the “Best Web Sites” section of the May 2002 issue.
The first Media Summit took place on January 29, 2002 at NASA to discuss national media relations strategies.
CRT has made contact with the Managing Director of Rockefeller Center and is currently working with him to explore ways in which we can bring Centennial exhibits, etc. to Rockefeller Center.
CRT met with National Geographic to introduce the celebration and discuss
potential story ideas. The meeting went very well and CRT will continue to pursue
contacts.
CRT is currently preparing travel pitches for travel publications and travel reporters at daily newspapers. We have also been putting together human-interest stories. CRT pitched the Gus McLeod story to several minority publications in honor of Black History Month and the Centennial. Several have expressed an interest in covering the story, including BET, Jet and Ebony. CRT is currently researching potential stories for Women’s History Month in March.
The media kit is currently being printed and should be ready by the end of February. The brochure is in the final design stages.
Web site
The Web Enhancement procurement announcement is posted at www.asu.faa.gov under “Contracting Opportunities.” The intent of this procurement is to obtain historical information regarding the Wright brothers that is credible, authentic, legitimate and educational for inclusion on the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission’s Web site. The procurement closes March 15, 2002.
New additions to our Web site include The Wright Experience’s “In Depth: The Controls,” included in the Wright Brothers History section at http://www.centennialofflight.gov/history/controls/index.htm.
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 exploring a variety of new ideas.
The 300+ images from the Wright brothers’ glass plates have been delivered to the Commission by the Library of Congress. These images will go live on our site soon.
Press Releases
Press releases are available on the COFC Web site at http://www.centennialofflight.gov/aboutcommission.htm.
Press releases/announcements:
February 6, 2002 Aerospace Giant Joins Centennial Celebration
February 6, 2002 U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission Announces Official Partners
February 4, 2002 Inventing Flight Announces Partnership with Standard Register
January 30, 2002 Inventing Flight Announces Major Sponsor Relationship with Lockheed Martin
January 22, 2002 Wright Redux Association to Participate in National Celebration of the Centennial of Flight
January 15, 2002 Inventing Flight and FAA Announce Essay Contest Winners
January 10, 2002 Olympic Torch Makes Stop at Historical Wright Cycle Company
January 10, 2002 U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission and The Wright Experience Form Alliance
January 8, 2002 Air Transport Association Partners With Aviation Week to Promote the Future of Flight
December 20, 2001 Aerospace Commission Recommends Analysis of Federal Aerospace Budget in First Interim Report
December 10, 2001 First Flight Centennial Commission Joins Efforts With U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission
November 26, 2001 First Flight Centennial Commission Names Event Management Professionals for December 2003
November 5, 2001 ODOT Offers Support for Inventing Flight Celebration
Articles/Interviews
NASA History News & Notes, Dayton Business Journal, New Jersey Aviation News, The Virginian-Pilot, The Charlotte Observer, Chicago Tribune, Aviation Week’s Next Century of Flight, a Dutch magazine, AIA UPDATE.
Completed Events:
Debbie Gallaway attended a National Coalition for Aviation Education meeting on February 6, 2002.
FAA signed out the paperwork on the Anti-Deficiency Act Violation to the President on February 4, 2002.
The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission held its quarterly meeting January 30, 2002. The minutes are out for comment now.
The Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry held a briefing January 30, 2002 on “Communicating Aerospace in Real Terms to Real People.”
Debbie Gallaway attended a NASA/Festival of Flight Planning Meeting January 24-25, 2002.
Debbie Gallaway made a presentation to the NASA Education Workshop on
January 18, 2002.
The Evolution of Flight Committee Meeting Minutes from the January 14, 2002 AIAA meeting in Reno, Nevada are available from Kim Grant (kimg@aiaa.org).