Area Pilot Delivers State Flag To Wright Brothers Memorial

KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. - July 30, 2003 - Bob Hough, an Experimental Aircraft Association member pilot from Derry, New Hampshire, officially represented the state in EAA's "50 Flags to Kitty Hawk" program Wednesday, July 30, when he landed at the Wright Brothers National Memorial and presented the state flag to National Park Service officials. Jack Ferns, New Hampshire's Director of Aeronautics, accompanied Bob on his flight to Kitty Hawk.

Bob was one of 50 EAA-member pilots chosen - one from each state - to participate in the "50 Flags to Kitty Hawk" program, a year-long effort that is part of EAA's "Countdown to Kitty Hawk" initiative, presented by Ford Motor Company, celebrating the achievements of the Wright brothers and the 100th anniversary of powered flight in 2003.

Bob Hough was the 18th EAA-member pilot to complete the journey to Kitty Hawk, where he also presented National Park Service officials with a signed proclamation from Governor Benson, declaring Wednesday July 30, 2003 as "50 Flags to Kitty Hawk Day" throughout the state. Following the presentation, the New Hampshire flag was raised at the Wright Brothers National Memorial site, where it flew for the entire day.

"It is an honor for Jack and me to represent the State of New Hampshire in celebrating such a unique milestone in history and to see where it all began," Bob said. Bob has more than 1900 hours in the air, and has been an EAA member since 1991. His 550-mile flight took four hours to complete in the restored 1943 Grumman Widgeon Amphibian.

EAA's "Countdown to Kitty Hawk" program, which is also supported by Microsoft Flight Simulator and Eclipse Aviation, includes construction of an exact flying reproduction of the 1903 Wright flyer, and a six-stop national tour of EAA's "Countdown to Kitty Hawk" pavilion exhibit, which features the Flyer, historic artifacts and Wright brothers correspondence from the Library of Congress, and numerous interactive aviation displays.

The tour will culminate at Kill Devil Hills, N.C., when as part of the Centennial of Flight Celebration, EAA's Wright Flyer will fly again at 10:35 a.m. on Dec. 17, 2003 - precisely 100 years to the minute from when the Wrights made history.

For more information on EAA's "Countdown to Kitty Hawk" program, visit www.countdowntokittyhawk.com.