OCTOBER/NOVEMBER ACTIVITY REPORT
The Web trends data for the Commission Web site reported more than 2.3 million hits in October.
The Commission has signed one new Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) with the Navy. There is a licensing agreement in the approval process with Banner Ideas, Ltd. for centennial flags.
John Travolta will be attending the Wright Memorial Dinner on December 12 at
National Airport. His presence will greatly add to the gala tribute to John
Glenn and the amazing achievements in aviation over the past 100 years.
The Commission Web site has been chosen to be included in this month's Digital Dozen, a list of exemplary Web sites for educators selected by the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse (ENC). The list is published each month at ENC Online (enc.org). You can see this month's Digital Dozen at http://enc.org/weblinks/dd/.
**Please continue to add your Centennial of Flight related events and activities to the Centennial calendar of events.**
Partnership Updates:
The FAA has received approval for their request to rename their buildings the Orville Wright Federal Office Building and the Wilbur Wright Federal Office Building.
Aviation Week & Space Technology, the ShareSpace Foundation and Boeing NASA Systems are sponsoring a symposium on Dec. 18, 2003 - the first day of the Next Century of Flight - for the first Space Imperatives Conference. They will consider the lessons of the past and the capabilities and challenges of today to create a foundation of vision and direction to move rapidly forward to advance human space flight. In addition to leading-edge innovators from NASA, the aerospace industry and academia, they will be joined by honored guests and participants such as: Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 Astronaut; Norm Augustine, Chairman Emeritus, Lockheed Martin; Hans Mark, Professor of Aerospace, DDR&E, Univ. of Texas; Alvin Toffler, Futurist; and many more.
The First Flight Centennial Foundation has licensed The Outer Banks Sentinel to produce "A Moment In Time: Official Guide To The First Flight Centennial®". One-third of the proceeds from the sale of the magazine will support the Foundation's charitable objectives, including improvements to the park, and will help defray the expenses of the event. Approximately 100,000 copies of the high quality, 64-page magazine will be available for distribution so that visitors can take full advantage of the Dec. 12-17, 2003, celebration at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills. The publication will depict the day-to-day life the day Wilbur and Orville Wright changed the world 100 years ago.
The Dayton Aviation Heritage Commission is developing a private nonprofit. The legislation that established the Commission in 1992 mandated that it recommend a "permanent management entity for the preservation and development of the Miami Valley's aviation heritage assets." The new Aviation Heritage Foundation, Inc. will fill that requirement. In addition to the business of creating a new organization, Dayton has been also working to establish a National Aviation Heritage Area in the region. They hope the bill will be signed this fall as part of the lasting legacy of the Centennial of Flight. The heritage assets in Dayton are much better because of the 2003 festivities.
The NASA History Office has reprinted Arthur Renstrom’s Wright Brothers Chronology (NASA SP-2003-4532) as a monograph. This reissue of a classic reference work on the Wright brothers is a companion to a similar bibliography that Renstrom compiled and the NASA History Office reprinted last year (Monograph #27).
Two authentically built replicas of the Wright brothers' 1903 Wright Flyer will be drawing keen attention in the Antelope Valley during the next six months. One of the two replicas, each of which is crafted of wood, wire and muslin, will be prominently displayed at the Edwards Air Force Base open house. The display will help highlight this year's Centennial of Flight celebration to observe the world's first successful powered aircraft flights by the Wright brothers. This is a venture involving NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center and the organization that has built both Wright replicas, the Los Angeles chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
The Partnership for Public Service and American University's Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation released today the results of a comprehensive survey of federal government employees on various aspects of job satisfaction. NASA ranked first among all federal agencies in the survey.
On December 3, Betty Geiger-Darst will present “A Personal Account of the First Family of Aviation – The Wrights” at the Virginia Air & Space Museum.
For the fourth consecutive year, NASA Ames Public Affairs supported the California International Airshow in Salinas, Calif., providing 11 exhibits, plus videos and informational handouts. The NASA exhibits were located in a 9,000-square-foot tent at the main entrance to the air show and were viewed by about 80 percent of the estimated 60,000 spectators in attendance.
The Great Lakes Science Center will hold an event on December 27 that will be open to the public consisting of displays, interactive activities and informational pamphlets set up by local organizations associated with flight. The Commission logo will be used on promotional materials.
Space Day 2004 Electronic Lessons were broadcast on Nov. 18, 2003, via satellite, at 1:00 p.m. EST. Hosted by Bianca Baker, a Space Day teen spokesperson, this 45-minute educational video series focused on the past, present and future of exploration. Students working on any of the three Space Day Design Challenges will find this program very helpful in developing their own solutions to this year’s Challenges. The program will feature engineers and explorers from NASA, NOAA’s Undersea Research Program and the National Geographic Society. Additionally, students will meet a Meriwether Lewis re-enactor, Richard Cheatham, for a perspective on the Lewis and Clark expedition, as well as historian/blacksmith, Eric Johnson and Mt. Everest climber and explorer Sean Burch.
The Greenbelt Wright Stuff 5K Fun Run & Walk is scheduled for December 7. The Commission has provided centennial pins for the first 100 people that register for the event.
Vandenberg AFB is hosting a Centennial of Flight Ball and will be showing the new Commission video.
The Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission will be distributing Commission materials at their December 12 event.
The NASA Liaison to the U.S. Strategic Command will be distributing centennial of flight materials.
The Chicago Centennial of Flight Commission, in cooperation with the Chicago Department of Aviation, Wilbur Wright College and the FAA Great Lakes Region, is planning a model airplane flying contest on December 17. They will be using the Commission logo.
Staff from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum have many speaking engagements throughout the centennial year on the Wright brothers or aspects of the invention of the airplane. November/December presentations include:
November 28: Ohio Libraries Council, Columbus, Ohio
December 6: Chicago Art Institute
Outreach Activity:
Portraits of Hope has traveled throughout the country over the last few weeks visiting hospitals in cities such as New York and Los Angeles, among others. The hospitalized children are painting decals that will be applied to a DC-3 and displayed in Outer Banks as a part of the First Flight Centennial Celebration. The response from the hospitals, the children and the media has been tremendous.
From November 5 – December 21, the Arizona Centennial of Flight Exhibition will be held at the Arizona Center. A decal with the Commission logo will be affixed under the cockpit windows of their B-17G Sentimental Journey. Governor Janet Napolitano has issued a proclamation declaring Nov. 7, 2003, as Arizona’s Centennial of Flight.
The History Channel will air a two hour documentary “The Wright Challenge” on Tuesday, December 9, at 9:00 pm. The story of the Wright brothers is interwoven with the story of four modern teams and their attempts to build a 1903 Wright flyer and get it airborne.
The Wright Redux Association flew “The Spirit of Glen Ellyn” once at the Clow International Airport in Bolingbrook. During the flight, pilot Ken Kirincic of Glen Ellyn got caught in a gust of wind and the plane crashed to the ground, snapping a propeller and breaking a part of the wings' ribs. He was not hurt.
The British are hosting “The Wright Brothers to the ISS,” Nov. 29, 2003 – Jan. 10, 2004. This is an educational event aimed at the entire community. It is being held in the main public library for the area and is expected to attract up to 5,000 visitors. The exhibition is sponsored by EADS Astrium, prime contractors for the Beagle 2 Mars Lander. Other supporters include the European Space Agency, the Royal Aeronautical Society, the British Interplanetary Society, the Science Museum and the Space Education Council.
The latest National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary--Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms--highlighting more than 100 historic places in 32
states, and four U.S. protectorates is near completion. Created as part of the National Park Service's commemoration of the Centennial of Flight, the itinerary presents a range of places/objects related to aviation history that span from the
Wright brothers to the space race.
The Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Ore., is the home to the Hughes Flying Boat and more than 40 other historic aircraft and helicopters. As part of its December 17 activities, the museum will be marking out the distances of the four flights made on Dec. 17, 1903. This will be done with four large banners displaying the Commission’s logo.
Cessna Aircraft produces a quarterly magazine that will be displaying the Commission logo with a centennial of flight editorial.
Cozad, Neb., hosted “Centennial of Flight: 100 Years Over the 100th Meridian.” Commission materials were provided.
GSA is in the process of publishing the “100 Years of Federal Civilian Aviation” brochure/poster.
Richard Hallion wrote an article, “The Wright Brothers: How They Flew,” that was the cover story of the Fall 2003 issue of American Heritage of Invention & Technology.
The Fall 2003 issue of The Wright Flyer put out by the College Park Aviation Museum has a number of articles about the centennial of flight and the Wright brothers.
Oakland International Airport is having a Customer Appreciation Day on December 17 and will be displaying the Commission logo on its coupon.
The Rubicon Theatre Company in Ventura, Calif., is presenting “Defying Gravity” by Jane Anderson in celebration of the centennial of flight. Former astronaut Gordon Cooper will attend the opening night gala festivities. The show is inspired by the life of teacher and astronaut Christa McAuliffe.
The Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is a Singaporean statutory Board whose mission is to nurture research talent that can create valuable intellectual property to develop and attract higher value, knowledge-based industries. A*STAR promotes science to young people, and encourages them to take up graduate education and pursue careers in science, engineering and biomedical research. They have asked to link to the COFC Web site.
The Tulsa Air & Space Museum is making a number of presentations at different locations of the Tulsa County regional library system and will be distributing Commission materials.
Two Massachusetts pilots will attempt to land at each of the state’s 40 commercial airports on December 17 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of flight.
The Washington-Centerville Public Library, Centerville, Ohio, is using the Commission logo on its bulletin boards to celebrate the centennial of flight.
The National Geographic Channel (NGC) will mark the centennial of the Wright brothers’ historic first flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, with "5 Nights of Flight," December 15-19, 2003. The following "5 Nights of Flight" programs will air at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, with encore presentations at 12 a.m. ET / 9 p.m. PT.
· "Test Pilots" (World Premiere) December 15, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (Encore 12 a.m. ET / 9 p.m. PT). "Test Pilots" takes a rare inside look at the world of test pilots, exploring the risks and rewards of this courageous and death- defying profession. From inside the cockpit, witness the fearlessness of the men and women who rely on their daring and skill to reach milestones in aviation history.
· "Air Force One" (Network Premiere) December 16, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (Encore 12 a.m. ET / 9 p.m. PT). Go behind the doors and inside the cockpit of the most famous plane in America -- and one of the most secret. This film provides viewers with unprecedented behind-the-scenes access onboard Air Force One.
· "High Flyers" December 17, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (Encore 12 a.m. ET / 9 p.m. PT). Follow daredevil barnstormers on a stomach-churning flight into the clouds, witness a reenactment of a daring 1912 bi-plane flight, and visit the world of amateur rocket-builders as they launch an ingenious home-grown space race.
· "The Rocket Ranch" December 18, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (Encore 12 a.m. ET / 9 p.m. PT). Visit the Rocket Ranch where a dedicated team of men and women service a single customer, the United States Space Shuttle. The special will also take a look at NASA's latest creation, Helios, a solar-powered, unmanned flying wing that's revolutionizing the world of aviation.
· "Charles Lindbergh: The Lone Eagle" December 19, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (Encore 12 a.m. ET / 9 p.m. PT). It was a flight that changed the world. When Charles Lindbergh flew solo from New York to Paris in May of 1927, he linked two continents, and in so doing, became the most famous man on Earth -- or above it. Using an exact replica of Lindbergh's plane, the "Spirit of St. Louis," the film reenacts the tension-filled flight.
Video Business Magazine wrote a very favorable review of David Garrigus’ film documentary, KITTY HAWK: THE WRIGHT BROTHERS' JOURNEY OF INVENTION. The PBS special and Collector's Edition DVD received a glowing review from Grading the Movies as well.
The Weekly Reader will be featuring an article on the centennial of flight.
Press Releases:
A number of press releases have been issued recently and are available on the COFC Web site. Releases are posted on the home page as well as in the media section.
November 24, 2003 – Seats and Hospitality Available for Celebration
November 21, 2003 – America’s First Woman Pilot and a Present-day Aviatrix Among National Aviation Hall of Fame’s Class of 04
November 20, 2003 – EAA’s 1903 Wright Flyer Reproduction Achieves Proof of Concept Test Flight Near ‘Hallowed Ground’
November 19, 2003 – U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission and U.S. Navy Join Forces
November 19, 2003 – “Fastest Man Alive” Recalls 50th Anniversary of Historic Flight
November 18, 2003 – Local Talent Among Featured Entertainment at First Flight Centennial Celebration
November 18, 2003 – “Consummate Airman” Harry B. Combs to Donate Authentic Reproduction of 1903 Wright Flyer to National Park Service and the American People
November 13, 2003 – One Million EAA Young Eagles Flown
November 7, 2003 – NCDOT Announces Transportation Plan For First Flight Centennial Celebration
November 7, 2003 – Air Show Performers Announced for First Flight Centennial Celebration at Wright Brothers National Memorial
November 4, 2003 – Robotics in Space is the November Family Day Topic at the U.S. Air Force Museum
October 31, 2003 – Opening Day of First Flight Centennial Celebration Designed to Educate and Inspire Youth
October 31, 2003 – Grammy-Award Winner Michelle Branch to Perform at First Flight Centennial Celebration
October 29, 2003 – First Flight Centennial Celebration Exhibits to Commemorate Wright Brothers’ Legacy and Inspire Youth
October 29, 2003 – First Flight Contest Deadline Drawing Near
October 29, 2003 – Former Head of the Air National Guard to Speak at the U.S. Air Force Museum
October 29, 2003 – Ticket Sales for First Flight Centennial Celebration Reach New Heights
October 28, 2003 – U.S. Air Force Band of Flight Honors America’s Heroes at U.S. Air Force Museum
October 22, 2003 – Arizona Joins National Celebration of Flight
October 22, 2003 – Leading Air and Space Historians to Present Symposium
October 21, 2003 – John Travolta to Serve as Master of Ceremonies for December 17, 2003 First Flight Centennial Celebration Ceremonies
October 18, 2003 – Chinese, Air Force Officials help Open New U.S. Air Force Museum Exhibit Honoring U.S.-China World War II Friendship
October 15, 2003 – The Wright Challenge, 100 Years Later, Modern Day Teams Try to Build and Fly Replicas of the Wright Brothers’ Plane
August 29, 2003 – Library of Congress Display Marks the Centennial of Flight
Web site:
The "final" status on the 2003 Flight Forecast contest registration and an early report on the submission phase shows registration stands at 460 teachers, representing 25,000 kids! There is representation from every state (including the District of Columbia) with the exception of Alaska, Montana and Nevada. We have three Dept of Defense schools participating from their bases in England, Germany and Japan.
For your information, there is an opportunity to extend this activity by forecasting the weather EVERY day on Web Weather for Kids, a web site about dramatic weather events created for students in grades 5 - 9. Children can review Tips in developing a weather forecast on that web site. Go to "forecast the weather" on this url -- http://www.ucar.edu/educ_outreach/webweather/
An Indonesian aerospace magazine will be featuring an article on the First Powered Flight and will be using images from the Commission Web site.
The corporate communications department at Computer Sciences Corporation is coordinating activities around the 100 Years of Flight celebration, which includes a dedicated page on csc.com, feature stories, a timeline, video and photo gallery. Their goal is to discuss the history of flight, CSC's role through long-term relationships with agencies like the FAA and NASA, and the future of flight. They are using resources from the Commission Web site.
London publishers are putting together a magazine on the history of Aviation and are featuring the Junkers F-13. They are using images from the COFC Web site.
BrainstormNW Magazine in Portland, Ore., is doing a special section in its December 2003 issue to celebrate 100 years of flight and will be using images from the Commission Web site.
The USS Saratoga Museum Foundation, Inc. has requested the use of materials from our Web site.
The Editing Manager for LOGTEC, Inc., a defense contractor, is completing the fourth in a series on the Wright brothers for the company newsletter and is using material from the Commission Web site.
A Dutch magazine will carry an article about 100 years of flight and will use material from the Commission Web site.
Educational Outreach Activities:
The Commission staff has been contacted by an extraordinary number of schools, including home schools, museums and libraries requesting copies of our educational resources and the exhibit. Examples include: Halifax Middle School, Halifax, PA; Raritan Valley School, Hazlet, NJ; Academy of Sts. Andrew and Matthew, Luling, LA; Cub Scout Pack 45, Rose Hill, NC; Country Cove Academy, Kernersville, NC; Train Up a Child Play and Learn, Fort Hood, TX; Tiller School, Beaufort, NC; Rust Library, Leesburg, VA; Trinity Christian School, Maurice, LA; Radburn School, Fair Lawn, NJ; The Iowa Children’s Museum, Coralville, Iowa; Nanuet Public Schools, Nanuet, NY; Clegem Elementary School, Edmond, OK; Hopewell Elementary School, Trinity, NC; London Public Library, London OH; Far West Elementary School, Beale AFB, CA; Fredricksen Library, Camp Hill, PA; Bowen Elementary, Bryan, TX; R. B. Hunt Elementary School, St. Augustine, FL; Pitt Community College, Greenville, NC; Educational Coordinator for Googols of Fun, Lawrence, KS; Spencer Borden Elementary School, Fall River, MA; Cleveland Middle School, Albuquerque, NM; Cliffwood Elementary School, Cliffwood, NJ; HOME ED-VENTURES, Selden, NY; Advancing Churches in Missions Commitment, Portland, OR; Sam Houston Elementary, Maryville, TX; Washington Middle School, Oconto Falls, WI; St. Bernard Elementary School, Bradford, PA; Northville District Library, Northville, MI; Stark County Jr. High, Wyoming, IL; Candor Elementary School Library, Candor, NY; Central School, Goodland, KS; E. G. Hewitt Intermediate School, Ringwood, NJ; Science Library, Colegio San Ignacio, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Kingston Elementary School, Cherry Hill, NJ; West Jefferson Hills School District, Pittsburgh, PA; Shiloh Elementary School, Shiloh, OH; Green Valley School, Slidell, LA; River Valley Middle School, Marion County, OH; Orange Avenue School, Cranford, NJ; Field School, Weston, MA; Global University, Springfield, MO; St. Stephen’s Episcopal Day School, Miami, FL; Gifted Education, Higgins Middle School, McComb, MS; Wesley Chapel Elementary School, Wesley Chapel, FL; Arboga Elementary School, Marysville, CA; Enka Middle School, Candler, NC; Cane Creek Middle School, Fletcher, NC; Independence Public Schools, Independence, WI; Ballentine Elementary School, Fuquay-Varina, NC; Miles School, Fair Lawn, NJ; Marion Elementary School, Marion, WI; Bradley Elementary School, Ft. Leavenworth, KS; Leary Elementary School, Rush, NY; Walter Johnson Middle School, Morganton, NC; Carrollwood Elementary School, Tampa, FL; Lyncrest School, Fair Lawn, NJ; Walden Academy, Lisbon Falls, ME; Troutman Elementary School, Troutman, NC; Daavenport A+ Elementary School, Boone, NC; John Page Middle School, Madison Heights, MI; Pittsford Middle School, Pittsford, NY; Beaverton City Library, Beaverton, OR; Clarke School for the Deaf, Northampton, MA; Lansdowne Resort, Lansdowne, VA; Warsaw Community Schools, Warsaw, IN; Beardsley Intermediate, Bakersfield, CA; McClellan Elementary School, Pittsburgh, PA; Riverwood School, McHenry, IL; Belmont Elementary School, Belmont, NH; Harrington Middle School, Mt. Laurel, NJ; Sedway Middle School, North Las Vegas, NV; Salisbury High School, Salisbury, NC; LeTourneau University, Longview, TX; E. G. Hewitt Intermediate School, Ringwood, NJ; Hillwood Middle School, Keller, TX; Selden Middle School, Selden, NY; Windsor Farm Elementary School, Annapolis, MD; La Purisima School, Orange, CA; Canyon View Elementary, Kennewick, WA; Frederick Douglass High School, Upper Marlboro, MD; Woodbury Middle School, Las Vegas, NV; Green Valley School, Slidell, LA; South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD; Enka Middle School, Candler, NC; Chugiak High School, Anchorage, AK; Ethel McKnight School, East Windsor, NJ; St. Paul’s Catholic School, Bloomer, WI; Gunter NCO Academy, Maxwell AFB, AL; and Southern Tier Library System, Painted Post, NY.
Pittsburg State University has a “Wonders of Flight” presentation that they make to kindergarteners, first and sixth graders. Commission educational materials are distributed after the skit.
The Aerospace Engineering Department at the University of Missouri-Rolla is having a centennial of flight celebration. Commission educational materials will be distributed.
College students in Sri Lanka are planning an exhibition to celebrate the centennial of flight and to educate other students on the history and future of aviation. Commission educational materials will be distributed.
The Holroyd City Library in Sydney, Australia, is preparing a display commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first powered flight. He will be displaying Commission educational and Web site materials.
The Senior Aviation Planner from Portland International Airport is making a presentation to a group of 100 fourth graders and will be using Commission educational resources.
Determining the Centennial of Flight and NASA participation at Kitty Hawk, N.C., December 12-17. Working to identify exhibit layouts, educational venues, speakers, panelists, ISS downlinks and staffing requirements for the 100th anniversary of flight celebration.
Assisting in the development of the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy Dinner Program on December 12 at National Airport.
The Pima Air and Space Museum, Arizona, is distributing Commission educational materials to middle school children.
Requests for Information, Exhibits, etc.:
Dr. Gary Godfrey (GodfreyG@uwstout.edu) is interested in drawing each piece of the Wright Brothers 1903 engine. He will pass all drawings and models on to you for your use. The accompanying sub and final assembly drawings will be drawn using 2-D CAD techniques. Three-D models will be made of each piece part. He has made drawings of about 30 other engines. The project will be run as part of classroom instruction for an engineering drawing class.
Mr. Alan Cate of Aviation Tomorrow (alan.cate@tds.net) X-Priority: 3
would like to participate
in the Centennial of Flight events at Kitty Hawk this December for exhibition display and demonstration flying of his electric powered airplane (The E~Plane). He would like to show the future of flight (green-clean non-polluting and soothingly quiet) juxtaposed with the origin of gasoline combustion powered flight. Please refer to his Web site, www.aviationtomorrow.com, for news articles in AirVenture Today (July 31, 2003), Kitplanes (3 articles about this fuel-cell airplane), Aviation Week & Space Technology, and the next issue
of Popular Science. They would like to show the future of small aircraft propulsion by flying their E~Plane at Kitty Hawk during the First Flight celebrations. They have a new showroom trailer that was used at the First Flight celebrations in Dayton, Cleveland and AirVenture this summer, and would use this for the static exhibit to explain the usefulness of fuel cell powered flight, and how it is soothingly quiet and non-polluting for airport neighbors and flyers alike. Mr. Robert "Hoot" Gibson is the Chief Pilot.
Bill Sheehan of Quartz Hill, CA makes aircraft paperweights of any shape and size with any item inside lucite. He can be reached by phone at 661-943-8483 or by email at sheehanaviator@hotmail.com
Since May 2003, the Commission has responded to requests from the following countries: Alexandria, Egypt; Izmir, Turkey; Indonesia; Vienna, Austria; Republic of Singapore; Hong Kong; Ireland; Puerto Rico; Australia; Canada; Shanghai, China; Sri Lanka; and Brussels, Belgium.
Completed Activities/ Events:
The General Electric Aviation Lecture Series “From Mach 2 to Kitty Hawk” by A. Scott Crossfield took place Thursday, November 20, 8 p.m., in the Lockheed Martin IMAX® Theater at NASM.
The American Astronautical Society National Conference and 50th Annual Meeting titled "THE DREAM IS ALIVE!" was held Nov. 18-19, 2003, at the South Shore Harbour Resort in Houston, Texas.
On November 15, College Park Aviation Museum, in association with the Smithsonian Institution, presented “The Right Place, Right Time, Wright Brothers.”
On November 11, NOVA presented the Wright brothers’ Flying Machine. To bring the Wrights' technological genius to life, NOVA featured authentic replicas of their brilliantly conceived craft, as shown in thrilling test flights. The climax was the construction and maiden flight of a replica Wright 1911 Model B, the pinnacle of the brothers' accomplishments and the world's first practical passenger-carrying flying machine, with all the essential technical features of today's aircraft. Commissioned exclusively for the program, the Model B is the handiwork of Ken Hyde and The Wright Experience.
On November 5, the Great Lakes Science Center was the setting for a symposium sponsored by NASA celebrating the centennial of flight. The symposium was broken into three consecutive presentations titled “Dreamers and Doers,” “Barnstormers and Entrepreneurs,” and “Aviation Leaders and Managers.”
Artist John Winslow had paintings on exhibit at the Fraser Gallery Bethesda from October 10 – November 12. Winslow focused seven new paintings around the Wright brothers and the history of flight.
The FAA supported “The Bessie Coleman Story” sponsored by the Rainbow’s End Theatre in Kansas City, Mo. The Commission logo was used and Commission materials were distributed.
On November 5, Dr. Tom Crouch presented “Inventing Flight: The Science of Balloons, the Technology of Wings” at the Virginia Air & Space Center.
The USAF Centennial of Flight Office’s completed August/September events include:
· Rockefeller Center – New York City, NY. The USAF and other exhibitors participated in a three-week exhibit at Rockefeller Plaza July 29 through August 18.The first weekend at Rockefeller Center the Air Force focused on the History of Aviation and was able to showcase its Honor Guard, Tuskegee Airmen and WASP’s. The second week, the USAF shifted focus to current aviators allowing Air Force Special Operations, Research Labs and Hurricane Hunters to highlight their roles and unique missions. High media visibility was obtained during the CSAF/SECAF visit with various television appearances on The Today Show, MSNBC and local networks. The final week of the Centennial Expo focused around space and a weekend was dedicated to children with various stations that were both fun and educational.
· EAA – Oshkosh Experimental Aircraft Association – The USAF participated at the Annual Air Show and Tech Expo by providing an exhibit from July 29 to Aug 4. Each MAJCOM booth was manned by at least two AF representatives. There was a lot of interest in the exhibit, briefers and giveaway items. The exhibit was the site of many interviews of dignitaries and DVs, providing the AF and the Centennial of Flight positive news coverage.
· Wolf Trap – Vienna, Va. The Air Force assisted Wolf Trap, a theater for the performing arts, in securing some of the resources they needed for its event held on September 6. Wolf Trap's Face of America 2003 celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first flight of the Wright brothers’ by following their adventures from Ohio to North Carolina.
· Global Air Chiefs Conference (GACC 2003) – Washington D.C. The Air Force Centennial of Flight Office helped organize and execute the Global Air Chiefs 2003 Conference, which was held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel from September 14 -20. Top air force officials from 89 countries from around the world attended the conference. The theme of the conference was Air and Space Power in the 21st Century: Global Issues and Challenges. There was a welcome reception held on the Odyssey cruise ship on Sept 14, followed by a twilight Tattoo at Bolling AFB. The conference was comprised of an Opening Ceremony, three GACC Forums and two Airpower Symposiums with various speakers, including some of the air chiefs. Vice President Cheney addressed the group on Wednesday, September 17.
· Education Packet – The USAF Centennial of Flight office commissioned Student Aware Communications to create an educational supplement for teachers that could be used beyond the Centennial celebration year. Using inputs from the Centennial of Flight office, BearingPoint and an editorial staff of educators, a supplement was created for the core subjects of secondary education (i.e. Science, Mathematics, Social Studies). These supplements are focused on the principles and knowledge that was necessary for the Wright Brothers to invent powered flight. This discovery has allowed the human race to advance beyond the physical space of earth. Each supplement contains a teacher's guide that included lesson plans, exercises, tests, and quizzes. Also included were 4 posters representing the various disciplines and a container to hold all of the materials. These were distributed free of charge by Student Aware Communications. The math supplement has been sent to 38,239 teachers, the social studies supplement to 30,047 teachers and the science supplement to 22,114 teachers. Requests continue to pour in from teachers across the country asking for the materials. The information is now available for download on the www.centennialofflight.af.mil website.