Section 1 – Executive Summary

December 17, 2002: The beginning of a national celebration.

Beginning on December 17, 2002, our country will have a unique opportunity to re-invigorate our nation’s interest in the pursuit of invention through creativity, courage and perseverance.

No other innovation in the last century has so defined our time and initiated such a series of technological advances as the airplane. Many of today’s advanced technologies can trace their origins to the development and growth of aviation. Equally important from a historical perspective, the airplane has dramatically changed the course of transportation, commerce, communication and national defense, effectively bringing the U.S. and the world closer together.

Congress created the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission (COFC) in 1998 to expand national and international interest in the Wright brothers’ achievement by enhancing interest in the commemorative activities such as those planned by the First Flight Centennial Foundation and the First Flight Centennial Commission of North Carolina, and Inventing Flight: Dayton 2003 of Ohio.

Supporters of the Centennial celebration agree that activities should share a fundamental purpose: to educate the public about the centennial and its meaning, and to encourage them to participate and engage in commemorative activities, thus gaining something from the experience. Through our collective efforts, we hope to create a national celebration that re-energizes our fascination with the power and opportunity that flight has afforded us.

On December 17, 2002, the COFC will mark the start of the yearlong Centennial of Flight: Born of Dreams – Inspired by Freedom celebration with a kick-off ceremony at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. All COFC Partners and Patrons have been invited to attend, and the COFC staff has been working to secure commitments from key government personnel.

This celebration is not about a single event, but rather a century of powered human flight. Vision, persistence and ingenuity have taken people from the dunes at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, to the surface of the moon in the course of that century. There are literally thousands of unsung heroes whose ability to dream of flight was only surpassed by their ability to make it happen.

The National Plan presents an overall strategy for the Centennial of Flight commemoration to encourage the broadest national and international participation in the celebration, while publicizing and encouraging programs, projects and events that will involve, educate, enrich and inspire the maximum number of people.

The COFC has accomplished much in 2002. With the acceptance and the implementation of the recommendations below, even more can be accomplished in the future. The COFC members and the First Flight Centennial Federal Advisory Board members endorse the following recommendations to the Congress and the President:

Full Funding for the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission: The budget for the COFC should be funded at the authorized levels of $900,000 in FY 2003 and $600,000 in FY 2004 as provided in the Centennial of Flight Commemoration Act.

Executive Branch and Congressional Participation on December 17, 2002: The President and Congress (especially those in states and/or committees involved in activities related to flight or national events) are urged to participate in the national kick-off celebration through presence at either the national kick-off, or corresponding kick-off celebrations in Dayton, Ohio, or Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. The Department of Interior, Department of Transportation, Department of the U.S. Air Force, Department of the Navy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Library of Congress and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are also encouraged to attend, and the heads of some of these departments have already agreed to participate.

Federal Government Participation in Multiple Celebration Activities: Congress and the President are urged to encourage all relevant federal agencies to develop plans for participation in the Centennial commemoration. Additionally, these entities are urged to participate where appropriate opportunities arise in Centennial activities occurring across the U.S.

Encourage International Celebration: The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission has made an effort to encourage and support international celebratory activities. Currently, events are being planned by entities such as the Paris Air Show and The Royal Air Force Museum in England. The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission requests that Congress and the Executive Branch encourage our international partners to participate in the Centennial celebration where deemed appropriate.

Fund the Aviation Theme Study: This study, proposed by staff members of the National Park Service, is a high priority project. This national survey of historic sites important to the history of flight represents a tool for underscoring the role flight has played in the development of communities across the nation. The recognition of local sites, events and people represents an important legacy of the centennial.