The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission and the
Evolution of Flight Campaign of the American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) today announced their
partnership to promote upcoming activities and events that
will celebrate the 100th anniversary of powered, controlled
flight in 2003 and the history and future of aviation.
The partnership will capitalize on the Commission’s mandate
to serve as a national and international source of
information about activities to commemorate the centennial of
the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight on the sands at
Kitty Hawk, NC, on December 17, 1903, and on AIAA’s status as
the world’s largest professional/technical aerospace society.
“We look forward to working closely with the AIAA Evolution
of Flight Campaign in the celebration of the Wright brothers’
achievements and a century of powered flight,” said U.S.
Centennial of Flight Commission Chair General John R.
(“Jack”) Dailey. “This is a wonderful opportunity for us to
collaborate on engaging the American public and the world in
a renewed appreciation of the technological marvel known as
powered flight. No other innovation in the last century has
so defined our time and initiated such technological advances
as the airplane.”
“We are proud of the progress made in the first century of
flight and look forward to partnering with the U.S.
Centennial of Flight Commission on an international campaign
that will recognize the past and lay the groundwork for the
next 100 years of aerospace innovation,” said AIAA Executive
Director Cort Durocher.
The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission (COFC) was created
by the U.S. Congress to advise the President, Congress and
federal agencies on the most effective ways to encourage
national and international commemoration of the achievements
of Orville and Wilbur Wright and the centennial of powered
flight. The Commission hopes to generate enthusiasm for the
commemoration by publicizing and fostering programs and
events that will involve, educate and inspire the maximum
number of people. The Web site of the Centennial of Flight
Commission is at:
http://www.centennialofflight.gov
AIAA launched the Evolution of Flight Campaign in May 1999.
The Campaign’s mission is to organize and facilitate a wide
variety of regional, national and international community-
based events, designed to build a greater understanding about
the contributions to society made by all facets of the
aerospace community. More information about the Campaign is
available at:
The six members of the Centennial of Flight Commission
represent the First Flight Centennial Foundation of North
Carolina; Inventing Flight: Dayton 2003 of Ohio; aeronautical
societies, foundations and organizations outside of Ohio and
North Carolina, represented by the President of the
Experimental Aircraft Association; the Smithsonian
Institution’s National Air and Space Museum; the Federal
Aviation Administration; and the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration.
The Evolution of Flight Campaign operates through a
partnership with The Boeing Company, GE Aircraft Engines,
Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon,
Rockwell Collins and Snecma. Advisors to the Campaign include
retired astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, experimental test pilot
A. Scott Crossfield, and three-time U.S. aerobatic champion
Patty Wagstaff. Additional support to the Campaign is
provided by Aviation Week’s Next Century of Flight, the
Challenger Center for Space Science Education, the Dayton Air
Show, the First Flight Centennial Commission, the
International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences, Inventing
Flight: Dayton 2003, The Centennial Celebration and
Microcosm, Inc.
AIAA is the world’s largest professional/technical aerospace
society, leading content provider and information resource,
and principal voice, devoted to the progress of engineering
and science in all aspects of aviation, space and defense —
on behalf of industry, academia and government.
