Twelve Seconds to Change
the World...
... A Century to Celebrate
By The First Flight Centennial
Commission |
| They
came to the Outer Banks for the winds and the sands, the same elements that
have attracted generations of residents and vacationers alike. But instead of
tanning, surfing or fishing, Orville and Wilbur Wright had science on their
minds. |
| After
years of effort, the genius bicycle-makers from Dayton, Ohio finally perfected
their experiments on a blustery December day in 1903. Their initial airplane
flight covered just 120 feet, but it was a 12-second journey that changed the
world forever. |
| Like the
Wright brothers’ first flight, planning the statewide celebration of the
100th anniversary of flight takes creativity, effort and time. That daunting
task belongs to the North Carolina First Flight Centennial Commission, whose
members intend on making the centennial of flight the grandest commemoration in
state history |
| While
the centennial anniversary date falls on December 17, 2003, the first flight
group is sponsoring and promoting events and programs throughout the year of
this historic celebration. Several activities involve attracting major
conferences and conventions to North Carolina, and hosting annual reunions of
military associations and aviation organizations, as well as developing
commemorative events. |
|
— Valuable Partnerships — |
| To carry
out its mission, the commission has formed partnerships with a number of public
and private organizations, including NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration,
the Smithsonian Institution, the First Flight Society, NC DOT/Aviation,
Dayton-based Inventing Flight, and the National Park Service. |
| The
National Park Service — through the Wright Brothers National Memorial at
Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina — has named the First Flight Centennial
Commission as its planning partner for centennial events at the historic site.
|
| The
commission will also rely on its 28 commissioners, many of whom reside on the
Outer Banks, for development and execution of the centennial plan. |
| An
impressive group of advisors to the commission includes Gen. Henry Shelton,
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff (Military Advisor); Col. Buzz Aldrin (Aviation
Advisor); and Mr. H. Ross Perot (Corporate Advisor). |
| US
astronaut and North Carolina native Col. Bill McArthur is a special friend of
the commission. After participating in a flight across the state to launch the
commission’s educational initiative, Col. McArthur proudly carried a small
piece of fabric from the original Wright Flyer aboard the 100th Space Shuttle
flight in 2000. The fabric, on loan from the commission, brought national
attention to how quickly flight has evolved in just 100 years. Fittingly, it
was returned to earth in formal ceremonies here on the Outer Banks, where the
history of flight began. |
| — Centennial Plans and Programs
— |
| An array
of activities is planned over the next two and one-half years as momentum
builds toward December 17, 2003. |
| As part
of its public awareness program, the commission’s award-winning exhibit
features a quarter-scale replica of the Flyer, designed and built by George
Rohrbaugh of Manteo, North Carolina. The exhibit has been on display from
Ottawa, Canada to the Sun ’n Fun fly-in in Lakeland, Florida, and from
Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport to the Paris Air Show. Since
1998, more than one million people have viewed the exhibit, which encourages
them to visit the site at Kill Devil Hills. |
| In March
of 2001, the commission took part in releasing North Carolina’s
commemorative quarter. The US Mint will issue more than 750 million of these
quarters, allowing each US resident to own a miniature rendition of the famous
Daniels photograph of the Wright brothers’ first flight. |
| Other
activities scheduled for the near term include annual visits to the Dare Days
Festival, the Mountain State Fair, and the North Carolina State Fair. The
commission also supports the Experimental Aircraft Association’s
AirVenture Cup, in which private pilots race from Manteo to Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
A number of other programs are in the works, involving the many planning
partners. |
| For the
commission’s educational program, 2001’s signature event is the
international symposium on the history of flight, titled They Taught the World
to Fly: The Wright Brothers and the Age of Flight. Scheduled for October 22-25
at North Carolina State University, the symposium will include roundtable
sessions of topics ranging from the Wright brothers at the Outer Banks to their
initial airplane marketing efforts, to the history of the space shuttle
program. Additional plans include aviation-related movies and exhibits from the
North Carolina Museum of History. |
| Education through such events as the symposium
is a big part of the commission’s mission. Thirty-six North Carolina high
school students are part of the Class of 2003 initiative, in which students
learn about aviation through studies and annual trips. |
| Two
students from Dare County serve as Dare County Heritage Ambassadors, imparting
their knowledge of the Outer Banks’ unique history to the other members of
the Class of 2003. |
| The
commission has enrolled more than 200 North Carolina elementary and middle
schools in the First Flight Centennial Schools program, which is designed to
provide teachers with resources to incorporate more aerospace-related
instruction in their lessons. |
| For the
next three years, North Carolina and the Outer Banks will be in the
international spotlight, drawing visitors to the Wright Brothers National
Memorial, eastern North Carolina and to other aviation and historical
attractions throughout our region. Those of us who live here have a unique
opportunity to celebrate flight while proudly playing host to the world.
|
