National Aviation Day Celebration 2014

Date: August 12, 2014
Contact: Outer Banks Group, 252-475-9034

Tuesday, August 19, 2014 will be a family fun day as the National Park Service and First Flight Society, a park partner, celebrate National Aviation Day at Wright Brothers National Memorial, the birthplace of modern aviation.President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed August 19^th as National Aviation Day, a day of national observance which coincides with Orville Wright's birthdate.In honor of this occasion, park visitors are invited to attend all day special activities and ceremonies at the site on August 19^th.

The First Flight Society is hosting the special event which includes the opportunity for young people, ages 8 through 17, to actually fly with pilots, see the cockpits of their aircraft and talk with the pilot about flying.The program is conducted in conjunction with the EAA's Young Eagles Program and five area pilots will provide the flights for up to three children per flight from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.Parents must sign a consent form to allow their child to fly.Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Pilot's Facility near the airstrip on the west side of the park.

At 12:00 - 12:30 p.m., everyone is invited to see the first model aircraft airshow in the Park presented by Radioactive Airshows.Amateur modelers show the "Wright-stuff" in demonstrating remote controlled model aircraft, a hobby enjoyed by thousands of enthusiasts.

NASA Astronaut, Dr. Don Thomas, who logged over 1,040 hours in space, will speak in the Visitor Center Flight Room at 1:00 p.m.His topic, "The Day a Woodpecker Attacked the Space Shuttle," while humorous now, was not as funny then.Following his presentation, he will sign copies of his book entitled "Orbit of Discovery," available in the Visitor Center Bookstore.At 3:00 p.m. Dr. Thomas will speak again in the Flight Room about "Living and Working in Space" and will answer questions on the topic and his career as an astronaut.

Aircraft, aviation displays, model airplanes, pilots and flying enthusiasts will be on the grounds of the park to answer questions.Exhibits include a Flight Simulator to give visitors a chance to try their flying skills.

Together with the special activities the National Park Service Aviation Day Program includes the following programs:

9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. –Junior Flight Ranger Program:Kids can pick-up a junior ranger booklet at the visitor center information desk.

9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. –Faster Than a Flyer: Are you faster than an airplane? Join us to find out! Meet at First Flight Boulder.

10:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. - Flight Room Talk: Learn how the Wright brothers solved the problems of human flight as a park ranger tells the story of their triumph at Kitty Hawk. Visitor Center Flight Room Auditorium, 30 minutes.

10:30 a.m. –Wright Kite: Learn how to build a homemade kite in this demonstration program. Visitor Center Patio, 30 minutes.

11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. –Snapshot in Time: Explore the profound power of this site in a ranger talk at the December 17, 1903 lift-off point. First Flight Boulder, 15 minutes.

The First Flight Society is a 501©(3) nonprofit organization operating in North Carolina.For more information, see www.firstflight.org

For more information on National Aviation Day, call the Wright Brothers NM Visitor Center at 252-475-9401 or for general information on the Outer Banks Group national park sites, visit www.nps.gov/caha, www.nps.gov/wrbr, www.nps.gov/fora;Twitter: @CapeHatterasNPS, @WrightBrosNPS, @FortRaleighNPS;or call 252-473-2111.