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Point Harbor,
August 16, 2011:
Motorless
aviation enthusiasts and historians are teaming up to
celebrate the centenary of an historic aviation milestone at
the Outer Banks of North Carolina from October 21 through 24.
The celebration of Orville Wright’s record 9 minute 45
second soaring flight near Kitty Hawk, NC in 1911 is led by a
partnership of aviation sporting and promotional organizations
that hope to create an exciting weekend devoted to educating
the public about modern craft that soar, remaining aloft
solely by using natural air currents, wind and solar energy.
“This
is the perfect time and venue for people to experience all the
different forms of soaring,” said John Harris, President of
the First Flight Foundation, the lead partnering group.”
“At the same time we can recognize the power of American
ingenuity since this also marks the return of Orville Wright
to the Outer Banks not only for aeronautical testing, but also
to experience something the Wrights had known about for years,
the potential of soaring to allow them to stay aloft for long
periods without the complication of an engine.”
“The
weekend ... is going to be a big one for all those who want to
find out more about history, the Wrights and especially
soaring,” said Lola Hilton, the First Flight Foundation’s
Executive Director and an Event Chair of SOARING100, the
umbrella group leading the event.
Primary
venues are the host sites, the Wright Brothers National
Memorial and nearby Jockey’s Ridge State Park, according to
Jim Short, Event Chairman and originator of the SOARING100
concept. There will be displays of modern and historic hang
gliders, paragliders, radio control and free-flight models and
full-size sailplanes. “Most importantly,” said Short,“
there will be flying demonstrations of each type of sailplane
and glider and people to answer questions about how to
participate in each form of soaring”. Full-size sailplanes
will fly from the Wright Memorial and hang gliders will be
demonstrated from the dunes at nearby Jockey’s Ridge.
Three
teams ... from Kansas, Maryland and Virginia ... are building
their vision of the Wright 1911 glider, an undertaking made
more difficult because no original glider exists, and because
the Wrights never made drawings of it. "The different
versions will be fascinating to see,” Short said. “There
has never been anything like it.” Weather and pilots
permitting, two of the replicas hope to fly from the dune at
Jockey’s Ridge and the third replica will be on static
display at the Wright Memorial Pavilion, regardless of
weather.
“For
youth there will be the opportunity to see and touch
sailplanes that many may be seeing for the first time,” said
Hilton. “There will be story readings for the youngest, and
hands-on workshops so others can build hand-launched gliders
or kites. There will be hang glider and sailplane simulators
and informational films about gliding and soaring.” The
SOARING100 organizers plan information centers where visitors
can find out where to learn more and how to join in the
soaring activity that interests them the most.”
Planners
expect history will be a big part of SOARING100. An historical
symposium will highlight the development of the earliest
aircraft, most of which were gliders. An internationally
respected group of panelists, coordinated by Tom Crouch,
Senior Curator of Aeronautics at the National Air and Space
Museum has agreed to discuss how aircraft were originally
developed and how motorless craft became the ancestors of
modern soaring planes and models. The symposium will be held
Saturday at Jockey’s Ridge State Park and seating is
expected to be limited. Following the symposium on Saturday
will be the 40th Capt. Ralph S. Barnaby Lecture featuring
Wright Brothers National Monument Historian, Darrell Collins.
On Saturday afternoon and on Sunday Jockey’s Ridge will host
a first-ever hang gliding history symposium. The events are
free to the public. National Park entrance fees apply.
A
National Landmark of Soaring will be dedicated at Jockey’s
Ridge State Park on Friday October 21st, the first day of the
event. A formal remembrance of Wright’s record flight will
be held at the Wright Brothers National Memorial on the
morning of Monday October 24, concluding the event.
“SOARING100
includes the main motorless flying groups in the US, the
Soaring Society of America, the United States Hang Gliding and
Paragliding Association, the National Soaring Museum, Vintage
Sailplane Association, and Academy of Model Aeronautics in
addition to the event’s lead partner the First Flight
Foundation, the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, the First Flight
Society and NASA. “All these diverse groups have come
together to organize this ‘grass-roots’ aviation event.
It’s really exciting”, added Harris.
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