EAA
Helps Celebrate 99th Anniversary Of Wright Flight At Kitty Hawk
December 19, 2002 - Along with participation at the Centennial of Flight Commission's launch in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, December 17, EAA participated simultaneously in the 99th anniversary celebration of the Wright brothers' first powered flight at the Wright Brothers National Memorial, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Roger Jaynes, EAA Vice President of Communications, presented EAA's plans for the yearlong celebration, including EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk (CTKH) initiative and national touring pavilion. He also described EAA's key role in the five-day national celebration at Kitty Hawk December 12-17, 2003. EAA's authentic reproduction of the 1903 Wright Flyer, scheduled to fly at precisely 10:35 a.m. on December 17, 2003, will serve as the event's centerpiece. Also appearing before the 5,000-plus crowd were representatives from the First Flight Society, the National Park Service, the First Flight Centennial Commission, Dare County, and the Town of Kill Devil Hills/Kitty Hawk. "It is truly fitting that, as you folks have done for so many years, we honor the vision, dedication, and pioneer spirit of the Wright brothers and their discovery of powered flight," Jaynes said. The link between EAA and North Carolina is strong: 18 EAA Chapters are located there, and pilots from the state have flown over 17,000 kids for EAA's Young Eagles program since its inception in 1992. Aviation legend Chuck Yeager will make a special Young Eagles flight as a part of December 2003 activities. Jaynes described EAA's extensive CTKH pavilion plans. "Not only will we display the EAA 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction, but people all over the country will have the chance to experience aviation history with the Microsoft Wright Flyer Simulator," he said. "The final tour stop, of course, will be here-at Kitty Hawk-where EAA will join the National Park Service and other aviation organizations for an exciting, five-day 100th Anniversary of Flight celebration...right here, where it all started 100 years ago." EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk program is presented by Ford Motor Company, with supporting sponsorship from Microsoft and Eclipse Aviation. Included in Tuesday's ceremony was an elaborate flyover of 34 aircraft around 10:35 a.m., led by an awesome low-passing B-2 Stealth Bomber Spirit of Kitty Hawk. Other planes included Cessnas, Pipers and other certificated GA aircraft, warbirds, vintage aircraft, and ultralights. Finally, the first '50 Flags to Kitty Hawk' state flag arrived on Tuesday as North Carolinian Charles Stites flew the NC state flag to the Memorial grounds in his 1949 Ryan Navion A. Stites has been an EAA member since 1989 and is also a member of the Vintage Aircraft Association, a division of EAA. 50 Flags to Kitty Hawk is a national aviation celebration created by EAA and the National Park Service.
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