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EAA's Countdown To Kitty Hawk Presented By Ford Motor Company Announces Supporting Sponsor Eclipse Aviation
Leading Aviation Innovator, Eclipse Aviation, to Celebrate the Spirit of the Wright Brothers through “Greatest Aviation Innovations” Sponsorship
OSHKOSH, Wis. - July 24, 2002 - EAA – The leader in recreational aviation – today announced Eclipse Aviation Corporation, manufacturer of the Eclipse 500 jet, is joining EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk initiative to celebrate the centennial of flight. Albuquerque, N.M.-based Eclipse Aviation joins presenting sponsor Ford Motor Company and the efforts of Microsoft Corp. to create a 1903 Wright Flyer flight simulator for EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk.
The Eclipse sponsorship will celebrate the “Greatest Aviation Innovations of the First 100 Years,” a featured element in the 24,000-square-foot Countdown to Kitty Hawk Touring Pavilion. The sponsorship also will include a poll that allows citizens to cast their votes for the most important aviation innovations in history.
“As our nation prepares to celebrate 100 years of powered flight on December 17, 2003, it's very fitting that Eclipse Aviation, an innovator in aviation today, lead the charge to acknowledge and celebrate innovative achievements in aviation history,” said Tom Poberezny, president and CEO of EAA.
Eclipse Aviation recently unveiled the first Eclipse 500 flight-test aircraft – a six-person twin-engine jet aircraft enabling the creation of new forms of air travel aimed at providing alternatives to commercial aviation. The Eclipse 500 jet is scheduled for FAA certification in December 2003, the same month as the centennial of flight.
“With the maiden flight of the Wright Flyer in 1903, the Wright brothers demonstrated what can be made possible through vision and innovation,” said Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation. "Eclipse Aviation is proud to be associated with the celebration of this important, historic event.”
Eclipse Aviation's “Greatest Aviation Innovations of the First 100 Years” will include the opportunity for the public to vote for the greatest aviation innovations of the past century both online and through the Countdown to Kitty Hawk Touring Pavilion in 2003. The voting public will be eligible to win deluxe travel packages to the Wright Brothers National Memorial near Kitty Hawk and witness EAA and Ford Motor Company's re-enactment of the Wright brothers' first powered flight on December 17, 2003.
EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk Touring Pavilion, which also will include the most accurate 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction as contracted by Ken Hyde of The Wright Experience, is scheduled to make stops in 2003 at locations including: Sun ‘n Fun EAA Fly-In, Lakeland, Fla. (April 6–12); Ford Motor Company's 100th Anniversary, Dearborn, Mich. (June 13–16); Inventing Flight: Dayton 2003, Dayton, Ohio (July 4–20); and, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Oshkosh, Wis. (July 29–Aug. 4). The tour will culminate with the re-enactment of the Wright brothers' first powered flight at the Centennial Celebration event on Dec. 17, 2003 at Kill Devil Hills, N.C. made possible through a partnership with the National Park Service.
About EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk presented by Ford Motor Company
Countdown to Kitty Hawk is one of the most elaborate celebrations of the centennial of flight. The initiative includes the construction and flight of the most accurate 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction as contracted by Ken Hyde of The Wright Experience, education initiatives, interactive aviation programs including the Greatest Aviation Innovations and a 24,000-square-foot nationwide touring pavilion.
The centerpiece of Countdown to Kitty Hawk will be the highlight of all activities associated with the centennial of flight. EAA and Ford Motor Company are scheduled to re-create the Wright brothers' historic first flight at the Wright Brothers National Memorial near Kitty Hawk at 10:35 a.m. on Dec. 17, 2003.
Through a historic partnership, Ford Motor Company is driving the Countdown to Kitty Hawk initiative. As one of the premier innovators of his generation, Henry Ford was fascinated by flight and shared a “No Boundaries” vision with the fellow inventors of his era including his friends the Wright brothers. To ensure the authenticity of the 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction and The Wright Experience's research, Ford Motor Company has provided technological and other expertise for the project. In 2004, EAA's 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction will be given to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich. and later installed for public viewing.
For more information about Countdown to Kitty Hawk, visit www.countdowntokittyhawk.org.
EAA – The leader in recreational aviation – is an international association with 170,000 members and more than 975 chapters worldwide. For more information about EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or visit the Web site at www.eaa.org.
The Eclipse sponsorship will celebrate the “Greatest Aviation Innovations of the First 100 Years,” a featured element in the 24,000-square-foot Countdown to Kitty Hawk Touring Pavilion. The sponsorship also will include a poll that allows citizens to cast their votes for the most important aviation innovations in history.
“As our nation prepares to celebrate 100 years of powered flight on December 17, 2003, it's very fitting that Eclipse Aviation, an innovator in aviation today, lead the charge to acknowledge and celebrate innovative achievements in aviation history,” said Tom Poberezny, president and CEO of EAA.
Eclipse Aviation recently unveiled the first Eclipse 500 flight-test aircraft – a six-person twin-engine jet aircraft enabling the creation of new forms of air travel aimed at providing alternatives to commercial aviation. The Eclipse 500 jet is scheduled for FAA certification in December 2003, the same month as the centennial of flight.
“With the maiden flight of the Wright Flyer in 1903, the Wright brothers demonstrated what can be made possible through vision and innovation,” said Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation. "Eclipse Aviation is proud to be associated with the celebration of this important, historic event.”
Eclipse Aviation's “Greatest Aviation Innovations of the First 100 Years” will include the opportunity for the public to vote for the greatest aviation innovations of the past century both online and through the Countdown to Kitty Hawk Touring Pavilion in 2003. The voting public will be eligible to win deluxe travel packages to the Wright Brothers National Memorial near Kitty Hawk and witness EAA and Ford Motor Company's re-enactment of the Wright brothers' first powered flight on December 17, 2003.
EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk Touring Pavilion, which also will include the most accurate 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction as contracted by Ken Hyde of The Wright Experience, is scheduled to make stops in 2003 at locations including: Sun ‘n Fun EAA Fly-In, Lakeland, Fla. (April 6–12); Ford Motor Company's 100th Anniversary, Dearborn, Mich. (June 13–16); Inventing Flight: Dayton 2003, Dayton, Ohio (July 4–20); and, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Oshkosh, Wis. (July 29–Aug. 4). The tour will culminate with the re-enactment of the Wright brothers' first powered flight at the Centennial Celebration event on Dec. 17, 2003 at Kill Devil Hills, N.C. made possible through a partnership with the National Park Service.
About EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk presented by Ford Motor Company
Countdown to Kitty Hawk is one of the most elaborate celebrations of the centennial of flight. The initiative includes the construction and flight of the most accurate 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction as contracted by Ken Hyde of The Wright Experience, education initiatives, interactive aviation programs including the Greatest Aviation Innovations and a 24,000-square-foot nationwide touring pavilion.
The centerpiece of Countdown to Kitty Hawk will be the highlight of all activities associated with the centennial of flight. EAA and Ford Motor Company are scheduled to re-create the Wright brothers' historic first flight at the Wright Brothers National Memorial near Kitty Hawk at 10:35 a.m. on Dec. 17, 2003.
Through a historic partnership, Ford Motor Company is driving the Countdown to Kitty Hawk initiative. As one of the premier innovators of his generation, Henry Ford was fascinated by flight and shared a “No Boundaries” vision with the fellow inventors of his era including his friends the Wright brothers. To ensure the authenticity of the 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction and The Wright Experience's research, Ford Motor Company has provided technological and other expertise for the project. In 2004, EAA's 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction will be given to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich. and later installed for public viewing.
For more information about Countdown to Kitty Hawk, visit www.countdowntokittyhawk.org.
EAA – The leader in recreational aviation – is an international association with 170,000 members and more than 975 chapters worldwide. For more information about EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or visit the Web site at www.eaa.org.
About Eclipse:
Eclipse Aviation is in the business of designing, certifying and producing modern, affordable jet aircraft that will revolutionize the transportation market. The company is applying advanced electronics systems, manufacturing and business practices to produce aircraft that cost less than a quarter of today's small jet aircraft, will be significantly safer and easier to operate than those of today, and have the lowest cost of ownership ever achieved in a jet aircraft.
The goal of Eclipse is to bring the word "personal" into aviation, making it possible for commercial air passengers to move directly between cities on a quick, affordable and convenient basis. It will also allow pilot owners to enter the world of jet-powered aviation.