Wednesday, December 17, 2003
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Wednesday, December 17, 2003 |
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Hartsfield celebrates ‘Centennial of Flight’ today Today marks the official 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ historic first flight, and in recognition of the event Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport will play host to a Centennial of Flight celebration today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event takes place at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Campus, formerly the Georgia International Convention Center, at 1902 Sullivan Road in College Park. The event is free and the public is invited to join aviation enthusiasts and airports across the nation marking the 100th anniversary of the flight Ohio brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright made in Kitty Hawk, N.C., Dec. 17, 1903. “It is with great reverence and respect that we acknowledge and celebrate the pioneering feats and technological foresight of the Wright brothers,” said Ben DeCosta, aviation general manager at Hartsfield-Jackson. “Their persistence made flight possible for mankind and air travel continues today, because of these great men.” Replicas of an 1899 kite, 1902 glider and 1903 flyer as well as a cockpit simulator and Jet Star cockpit and fuselage will be on display during a community-wide event aimed at aviation enthusiasts of all ages, including middle and high school students from Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton counties and the City of Atlanta. Organizations including the Tuskegee Airmen, National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees, Federal Aviation Administration, Organization of Black Airline Pilots, Commemorative Air Force/Dixie Wings, Experimental Aircraft Association and the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins are scheduled to participate in the celebration. Student artwork depicting various aspects of aviation development will be displayed at the Centennial of Flight celebration and a collection of photographs charting the history of Hartsfield-Jackson will be exhibited in the Airport Atrium and at today’s event.
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