Subject: Countdown To Kitty Hawk

EAA President Tom Poberezny and the other five members of the United States Centennial of Flight (COF) Commission met last week at NASA headquarters in Washington (DC), where they  reviewed EAA's successful Countdown to Kitty Hawk events so far and previewed events leading up to and including the national centennial celebration this December at Kitty Hawk (NC).

EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk Pavilion drew crowds at Lakeland (FL), Dearborn (MI), Dayton (OH), Oshkosh (WI) and Seattle (WA).

Presented by Ford Motor Company and supporting sponsors Microsoft Flight Simulator, Eclipse Aviation, and Northrop Grumman, it will be a main attraction at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention October 7-9 before traveling to the Centennial of Flight celebration at Kitty Hawk the week of December 17.

Head of the commission, Gen. John Dailey, director of the National Air and Space Museum, took COF members on a tour of NASM's new Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Washington Dulles Airport. "It's an outstanding facility and will be something every aviation enthusiast will want to visit," Tom said. "I'm proud that our nation's aviation artifacts will be displayed here for all to enjoy." The Center's public opening is on December 15, 2003.

During his two-day visit to Washington, Poberezny also met with FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, several FAA senior managers, and a key representative of the Department of Transportation for talks on a variety of subjects including the sport pilot/light-sport aircraft rulemaking progress, operational issues for homebuilt aircraft, and aging aircraft.

FMI: www.eaa.org