Official
website: www.centennialofflight.gov
The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission is pleased to announce
that Rockefeller Center in New York City and the Space Day
Foundation have joined the Centennial of Flight: Born of Dreams
– Inspired by Freedom commemoration celebrating the
100th anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first powered
flight.
“Rockefeller Center and the Space Day Foundation will
help the Commission to expand its reach dramatically,”
J.R. “Jack” Dailey, chairman of the U.S. Centennial
of Flight Commission and director of the Smithsonian’s
National Air and Space Museum, said. “These two organizations
will increase awareness of the Centennial through events and
publicity reaching hundreds of thousands of people each, sharing
the stories of the Wright brothers and the pioneers of flight
who followed them, and proving that determination, innovation
and passion can make our dreams a reality.”
Rockefeller Center will host a major exhibit of historic
aircraft from July 28 – Aug. 17, 2003. “GE Presents
Centennial of Flight at Rockefeller Center” will include
full-scale replicas of historic aircraft from the Wright Flyer
through every era of aviation history. The centerpiece of
the exhibit will be the Aerospace Park on the Rockefeller
Center Plaza, which will include a full-scale replica of the
Mercury Redstone Rocket. The model rocket is an exact replica
of the original 75-foot rocket currently residing at the Kennedy
Space Center and will be placed on the same site as the world
famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. The exhibit will
also include replicas from aviation’s pioneer period,
World War I, the Golden Age and World War II, as well as full-scale
replicas of the Lunar Module and the Space Shuttle cockpit.
Rockefeller Center is the site of numerous public exhibits
and events. Each day an estimated 250,000 people walk through
the Rockefeller Plaza complex, which is home to the most famous
Christmas tree in the world.
General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) is the presenting sponsor
for the Centennial of Flight celebration at Rockefeller Center.
GE is the world’s leading maker of jet engines for commercial
and military use and has played a leading role in developing
aviation technology. Beginning with the invention of the first
turbosupercharger in 1918, GE has been responsible for some
of the most significant achievements in aviation history including
the first U.S. jet engine, the first Mach 3 engine and, most
recently, the GE90-115B, the world’s most powerful commercial
jet engine.
The Space Day Foundation provides a platform around which
diverse organizations in government, business and education
can convene to develop programs and generate resources that
will help motivate students to pursue careers in math, science,
engineering and technology, using space as a motivating catalyst.
The Foundation is guided by a prestigious Council of Advisors,
co-chaired by former Senator John Glenn and Dr. Vance Coffman,
CEO and chairman of Lockheed Martin Corporation, and a Board
of Directors. In addition, over 75 Space Day Partners and
Associates representing a wide array of nonprofit, governmental,
educational and corporate organizations play a major role
in supporting Space Day events and activities across North
America, collaborating to develop and implement Space Day
educational programs.
Other partners in the Centennial of Flight: Born of Dreams
– Inspired by Freedom celebration include: American
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA); Aviation
Week’s The Next Century of Flight; EAA; Fayetteville
Festival of Flight; Federal Aviation Administration; First
Flight Centennial Commission and First Flight Centennial Foundation
of North Carolina; Inventing Flight: Dayton 2003; NASA; the
Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum; and the
U.S. Air Force.
The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission was created by Congress
to expand national and international interest in the commemoration
of the centennial of powered flight. The Commission is coordinating
a national outreach campaign and advising the President, Congress
and federal agencies on the most effective ways to encourage
and promote national and international participation throughout
2003. More information about the Commission and the yearlong
commemoration can be found online at www.centennialofflight.gov |
