Sarah Keegan
Headquarters, Washington, DC                  June 27, 2001
(Phone: 202/358-1902)

RELEASE: 01-124

U.S. CENTENNIAL OF FLIGHT COMMISSION AND AIAA'S 
EVOLUTION OF FLIGHT CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCE ALLIANCE

     The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission and the 
Evolution of Flight Campaign of the American Institute of 
Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) today announced their 
partnership to promote upcoming activities and events that 
will celebrate the 100th anniversary of powered, controlled 
flight in 2003 and the history and future of aviation.

The partnership will capitalize on the Commission's mandate 
to serve as a national and international source of 
information about activities to commemorate the centennial of 
the Wright Brothers' first powered flight on the sands at 
Kitty Hawk, NC, on December 17, 1903, and on AIAA's status as 
the world's largest professional/technical aerospace society.

"We look forward to working closely with the AIAA Evolution 
of Flight Campaign in the celebration of the Wright brothers' 
achievements and a century of powered flight," said U.S. 
Centennial of Flight Commission Chair General John R. 
("Jack") Dailey.  "This is a wonderful opportunity for us to 
collaborate on engaging the American public and the world in 
a renewed appreciation of the technological marvel known as 
powered flight.  No other innovation in the last century has 
so defined our time and initiated such technological advances 
as the airplane."

"We are proud of the progress made in the first century of 
flight and look forward to partnering with the U.S. 
Centennial of Flight Commission on an international campaign 
that will recognize the past and lay the groundwork for the 
next 100 years of aerospace innovation," said AIAA Executive 
Director Cort Durocher.

The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission (COFC) was created 
by the U.S. Congress to advise the President, Congress and 
federal agencies on the most effective ways to encourage 
national and international commemoration of the achievements 
of Orville and Wilbur Wright and the centennial of powered 
flight. The Commission hopes to generate enthusiasm for the 
commemoration by publicizing and fostering programs and 
events that will involve, educate and inspire the maximum 
number of people. The Web site of the Centennial of Flight 
Commission is at: 

           http://www.centennialofflight.gov

AIAA launched the Evolution of Flight Campaign in May 1999. 
The Campaign's mission is to organize and facilitate a wide 
variety of regional, national and international community-
based events, designed to build a greater understanding about 
the contributions to society made by all facets of the 
aerospace community. More information about the Campaign is 
available at:

               http://www.flight100.org

The six members of the Centennial of Flight Commission 
represent the First Flight Centennial Foundation of North 
Carolina; Inventing Flight: Dayton 2003 of Ohio; aeronautical 
societies, foundations and organizations outside of Ohio and 
North Carolina, represented by the President of the 
Experimental Aircraft Association; the Smithsonian 
Institution's National Air and Space Museum; the Federal 
Aviation Administration; and the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration.

The Evolution of Flight Campaign operates through a  
partnership with The Boeing Company, GE Aircraft Engines, 
Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon, 
Rockwell Collins and Snecma. Advisors to the Campaign include 
retired astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, experimental test pilot 
A. Scott Crossfield, and three-time U.S. aerobatic champion 
Patty Wagstaff. Additional support to the Campaign is 
provided by Aviation Week's Next Century of Flight, the 
Challenger Center for Space Science Education, the Dayton Air 
Show, the First Flight Centennial Commission, the 
International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences, Inventing 
Flight: Dayton 2003, The Centennial Celebration and 
Microcosm, Inc.

AIAA is the world's largest professional/technical aerospace 
society, leading content provider and information resource, 
and principal voice, devoted to the progress of engineering 
and science in all aspects of aviation, space and defense -- 
on behalf of industry, academia and government. 

                          -end-