Historic Flight Re-Creation Provides Once-In-A-Lifetime
Opportunity For Memorial Visitors
At a recent joint meeting of the U.S. Centennial
of Flight Commission and the First Flight Centennial Advisory
Board, representatives of the National Park Service’s Outer
Banks Group and the National Air Tour 2003 announced plans for the
upcoming National Air Tour’s stop at Wright Brothers National
Memorial on September 20, 2003. Weather permitting, more than 25
rare, vintage aircraft will land at the park’s First Flight
Airstrip and be displayed in a circle around the base of Big Kill
Devil Hill. The National Air Tour’s visit to the birthplace
of flight is part of a 17-day, 4,000-mile journey to celebrate the
Golden Age of Aviation and the Centennial of Flight by re-creating
the original Tours that were held from 1925 through 1931.
"The National Air Tour presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
to witness so many magnificent aircraft from the’20s and
’30s flying together again,” said Lawrence A. Belli,
Superintendent, Outer Banks Group. “We’re pleased to be
able to share this important part of aviation history with visitors
to Wright Brothers National Memorial.”
Vintage Aircraft to Fill Skies Above Wright Memorial
The National Air Tour aircraft will depart from
Dare County Airport on the morning of September 20, and land
shortly thereafter at the First Flight Airstrip between 9 and 10
a.m. The aircraft, including large transport tri-motors, flying
boats and open-cockpit biplanes from the 1920s and ‘30s, will
then be positioned for public display in a circle around the base
of Big Kill Devil Hill, where the Wright brothers conducted
hundreds of their pre-flight gliding experiments. The Wright
Memorial, a 60-foot granite pylon, crowns Big Kill Devil Hill, and
honors the Wright Brothers.
National Air Tourists will be on-hand to answer questions about
their airplanes and the Tour. Throughout the day, the planes will
be on display and programs will be offered. Weather permitting, the
aircraft will remain at the Memorial overnight and depart from
First Flight Airport for Richmond, Va., on September 21.
National Air Tour 2003 Celebrates Aviation History
The
National Air Tour 2003 is an official U.S. Centennial of Flight
Commission celebration that places a spotlight on the innovators
and innovations of the Golden Age of Aviation — the period in
aviation history between the two World Wars. The Golden Age marked
a time of great advancements in civil aviation, spurred-on by such
ventures as air tours and air races. Concrete runways, airport
facilities, radio navigation, enhanced instruments, airmail,
all-metal transport aircraft and even brakes on airplanes were
among the significant developments during this era.
“It is a great honor for the best of America’s
vintage fleet on the National Air Tour 2003 to land at the First
Flight Airstrip, literally steps away from where it all
began,” said Greg Herrick, President of the Aviation
Foundation of America, the non-profit organization coordinating the
Tour. “We’re thrilled to salute both the first flight
and the Golden Age of Aviation — a period in which so many
advancements took place that affect how we fly today.”
Departing on September 8 from Dearborn, Mich., the National Air
Tour 2003 will visit 21 states along a 4,000-mile route during a
17-day period. The National Air Tour 2003 will fly a route for what
would have been a 1932 Tour.
The original National Air Tours, officially known as the
“National Air Tours for the Edsel B. Ford Reliability
Trophy,” were commonly referred to as the “Ford Air
Tours.” Edsel B. Ford, a staunch supporter of the Tours, held
a vision for the future of aviation and provided the trophy. The
Tours helped build America’s modern system of air
transportation in part by showcasing the latest advancements in
aircraft design, encouraging the development of airports and
promoting the safety and reliability of civil aviation.
National Park Service’s First Airplane to Visit the Outer
Banks
The National Park Service’s first airplane, a 1928
FairchildFC-2W2, N-13934, will fly on the National Air Tour from
Dearborn to Kill Devil Hills. It is the only flying example of its
kind and is privately owned. It is painted as it was when J.D.
“Dave” Driskill flew it over the Outer Banks in the
‘30s. Driskill shuttled mail, payroll, supplies, patients and
passengers to and from the Civilian Conservation Corps camps. Prior
to being sold to the National Park Service in 1936, the Fairchild
was the first airplane owned by the National Advisory Committee for
Aeronautics (NACA) — the predecessor of NASA.
1927 National Air Tourists Met Orville Wright
When the 1927 National Air Tour pilots landed in Dayton, Ohio,
they were greeted by one special gentleman who, in essence, helped
make all Air Tours and aviation related activity possible —
Orville Wright. Orville came to McCook Field and was personally
introduced to each pilot by Tour referee Ray Collins. A dinner
followed their arrival at the Miami Hotel. More than 300 people
attended the dinner, including Mayor A.C. McDonald and Congressman
Roy G. Fitzgerald.
The Aviation Foundation of America
Minneapolis-based Aviation Foundation of America is a 501(c)3
public charity designed to preserve and promote America’s
aviation heritage at a grassroots level through initiatives such as
historic flight re-creations, airport preservation projects and
educational programs. The Aviation Foundation of America is a full
partner in the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission along with the
FAA, NASA and the Experimental Aircraft Association.