CONTACTS: Merrie Scott (AIAA): 703-264-7530; merries@aiaa.org Jerry Snyder (FAA): 310-725-3580; jerry.snyder@faa.gov Program updates: www.flight100.org/activities/tour.html Electronic Photographs Available September 4, 2002 Historic Wright Replica Launches National Tour Reston, Virginia ö Itâs bon voyage for the AIAA 1903 Wright Flyer! Flight enthusiasts including aviation industry executives, federal officials, schoolchildren and ãOrville and Wilbur Wrightä themselves will gather near Los Angeles September 26 to inaugurate the planeâs national tour and launch the countdown to the 100th anniversary of powered flight. The event will be held at the Federal Aviation Administrationâs (FAA) regional headquarters in Hawthorne, California, from 10-11 a.m. The program is being administered by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), through its Evolution of Flight Campaign. The AIAA 1903 Wright Flyer is a highly authentic, full-size replica of the Wright Brothersâ groundbreaking plane, which on December 17, 1903 first proved the viability of sustained, powered flight. The AIAA version, built over a period of 20 years by a volunteer team of aviation professionals using drawings from the Smithsonianâs National Air and Space Museum, is the only Wright Flyer replica to be successfully tested in a wind tunnel. The plane is currently suspended in the lobby of the FAA building. The September 26 event will celebrate the past and future of aviation. Actors portraying Orville and Wilbur Wright will serve as masters of ceremonies; FAA officials and Kent Kresa, AIAA president and Chairman and CEO of Northrop-Grumman, will speak; and preschoolers from the FAAâs Little Aviators Child Development Center will sing. There will be several educational displays, along with the AIAA 1903 Wright Flyer itself. Light refreshments will be served immediately following the program. Two days later, at 7 a.m. on September 28, the plane will be removed from the FAA building. This process ö a dramatic photo opportunity ö involves carefully lowering the plane from its suspended location, partially disassembling the plane, removing a 10-by-12-foot glass ãhangar doorä and wheeling the plane onto the custom-designed 53-foot tractor trailer that will transport it throughout the United States. Media are invited to observe but must make arrangements in advance (see below for RSVP information). On its tour, the AIAA plane will reach an estimated two million people. Scheduled tour stops are Nellis Air Force Base, NV (October 5-6); World Space Congress, TX (October 14-19); New England Air Museum, CT (October 26-February 2003); Kennedy Space Center, FL (March 1-May 2003); North Carolina Festival of Flight, NC (May 16-26, 2003); Van Nuys Airport Aviation Expo, CA (June 21-22, 2003); Long Beach Airport, CA (July 29-October 2003); Edwards Air Force Base, CA (October 2003); and Legoland, CA (October -December 2, 2003). Please note that the kickoff event is restricted to invited guests and media due to FAA security requirements. All media must RSVP in advance; space is limited. To reserve your space and/or schedule an interview, call Jerry Snyder by Friday, September 13: 310-725-3580. Plan to arrive early to allow sufficient time for security processing. Launched in 1998, AIAAâs Evolution of Flight campaign honors the pioneers of flight, advances public support for aerospace research and development, and inspires youth to pursue careers in science and technology. AIAAâs partners include The Boeing Company, GE Aircraft Engines, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon, Rockwell Collins and Snecma. AIAA is the worldâs largest aerospace professional/technical society, the leading information provider and the principal voice ö devoted to the progress of engineering and science in all aspects of aviation, space and defense ö on behalf of industry, academia and government. For more on the AIAA 1903 Wright Flyer or AIAAâs Evolution of Flight campaign, call Merrie Scott (703-264-7530) or visit www.flight100.org. Full media kits are available online. WHAT: Launch of the AIAA 1903 Wright Flyer Centennial Tour WHEN: September 26, 2002, 10-11 a.m. WHERE: FAA Western-Pacific Regional Headquarters 15000 Aviation Blvd, Hawthorne, CA First floor, Triangle Room