Brackett Delivers Arizona State Flag to Wright Brothers Memorial

KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. - October 12, 2003- Bob Brackett, an EAA member pilot from Kingman, Arizona, officially represented the state in EAA's "50 Flags to Kitty Hawk" program on Sunday, October 12, when he landed at the Wright Brothers National Memorial and presented the Arizona state flag to National Park Service officials.

Brackett is 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.

Brackett was the 39th EAA-member pilot to complete the journey to Kitty Hawk, where he also presented National Park Service officials with a signed proclamation from Governor Janet Napolitano, declaring October 10th as "50 Flags to Kitty Hawk Day" throughout the state. Following the presentation, the Arizona flag was raised at the Wright Brothers National Memorial.

Brackett's first flight lesson was in October 1942. Today he has 17,000 hours of flight experience - from the J-3 Cub through Sabre Jets while serving in the U.S. Air Force. Bracket has been an EAA member since 1964. He was accompanied on the 1,900 nm flight by Ed Covington and Scott Brackett in his 1966 Beechcraft Baron C-55.

EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk program, 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.