Raesz Delivers Texas State Flag to Wright Brothers Memorial

KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. - November 30, 2003 - Rick Raesz, an EAA member pilot from Forth Worth, Texas, officially represented the state in EAA's "50 Flags to Kitty Hawk" program on Sunday, November 30, 2003 when he arrived at the Wright Brothers National Memorial and presented the Texas state flag to National Park Service officials.

Raesz 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.

Raesz was the 52nd and final EAA-member pilot to complete the journey to Kitty Hawk, where he also presented National Park Service officials with a signed proclamation from Governor Rick Perry, declaring December 17, 2003 as "50 Flags to Kitty Hawk Day" throughout the state. Following the presentation, the Texas flag was raised at the Wright Brothers National Memorial.

"It is a great honor to represent the great state of Texas for the 100th year of flight celebration," Raesz said. Owner of Presage Solutions, an IT services company, he has more than 4,000 hours in the air, and has been an EAA member since 1978.

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.