OSHKOSH, WI, July 24, 2001 – Ford Motor Company has announced it is the presenting sponsor of the Experimental Aviation Association’s (EAA) Countdown to Kitty Hawk, a three-year program commemorating the centennial of the Wright Brothers first flight. 

“It is fitting that Ford Motor Company is the presenting sponsor of this historical celebration,” said John M. Rintamaki, Ford Motor Company group vice president and chief of staff. “Our founder, Henry Ford, was fascinated by flight and, as one of the premier innovators of his generation, he shared a vision with fellow inventors of his era, including his friends the Wright Brothers.” 

Ford Motor Company has played a major role in the history of aviation, ranging from the development of the Ford TriMotor airplane to the company’s manufacturing of aircraft in support of the Allied effort during World War II. 

“The remarkable, sweeping advancements in popular mobility created by powered flight mirror the evolution of the automobile and its similar impact on culture, society and travel,” said Rintamaki. 

“Countdown to Kitty Hawk is an important event to Ford Motor Company,” added Rintamaki, “And we plan on offering current and former employees an opportunity to be a part of this historic program. In June of 2003, we will partner with EAA on a Countdown to Kitty Hawk program in Dearborn, Michigan, as part of our own Ford Motor Company centennial celebration. We look forward to being a part of the many events planned over the next 30 months.” 

EAA, headquartered in Oshkosh, WI., serves members with a wide range of aviation interests, including antiques, classics, warbirds, aerobatic, ultralights, helicopters and contemporary manufactured aircraft. The group’s annual convention each summer in Oshkosh, EAA AirVenture, showcases virtually every flying machine created by man and attracts more than three-quarters of a million visitors. 

For more information on the Countdown to Kitty Hawk program, visit www.countdowntokittyhawk.com or www.eaa.org.