Centennial Of Flight Commission
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The U. S. Centennial of Flight Commission (CoFC or CofF Commission) was created in 1999, by the
U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an upper body, the U.S. Senate. They both ...
, to serve as a national and international source of information about activities commemorating the
centennial A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century. Notable events Notable centennial events at a national or world-level include: * Centennial Exhibition, 1876, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...
of the
Wright brothers The Wright brothers, Orville Wright (August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948) and Wilbur Wright (April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912), were American aviation List of aviation pioneers, pioneers generally credited with inventing, building, and flyin ...
' first powered flight on December 17, 1903 (purportedly the first fully controlled, sustained, powered flight of a heavier-than-air man-carrying
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).Review
"U. S. Centennial of Flight Commission"
website, National Coalition for Aviation and Space Education (NCASE - formerly NCAE: National Coalition for Aviation Education), retrieved December 4, 2017
Keegan, Sarah, RELEASE 01-227
"U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission and First Flight Centennial Commission Align Efforts,"
November 20, 2001,
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
Headquarters, Washington, D.C., as archived, retrieved December 3, 2014
Keegan, Sarah, RELEASE 03-129
"U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission Announces Two New Alliances,"
April 2, 2003,
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
Headquarters, Washington, D.C., as archived, retrieved December 3, 2014
"AAHS Moves to Preserve ''Centennial of Flight'' Website,"
Third Quarter 2013, ''AAHS Flightline,'' Issue Number No. 184,
American Aviation Historical Society The American Aviation Historical Society (AAHS) is a non-profit organization "dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of he history ofAmerican aviation.""AAHS Mission," Winter 2019, ''AAHS Journal'', vol.64, no.4, page 242, retrieved May 1 ...
, retrieved December, 2017
There were centennial commemorations and celebrations planned in 2003 to occur in both: *
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
(the Wrights' 1903 powered flights took place on the sands at
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina Kitty Hawk is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States, located on Bodie Island within the state's Outer Banks. The population was 3,708 at the 2020 United States census. It was established in the early 18th century as Chickahawk. Hi ...
) *
Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
, hometown of the Wright brothers In addition, the commission anticipated numerous historical and educational projects about aviation and aeronautics nationally and internationally, and sought to be a shaping force in those events. The Commission coordinated a national outreach campaign, "Centennial of Flight: Born of Dreams — Inspired by Freedom," "to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first powered flight and the century of accomplishments that followed." The Commission also advised the President, Congress and federal agencies on the most effective ways to encourage and promote national and international participation in the commemoration. The CoFC also undertook additional efforts to support Centennial commemorations and celebrations, and related educational and cultural programs, through its alliance with "Centennial Partners" who were "planning everything from cross-country tours to air shows and exhibitions, seminars and television specials." It also sponsored a large educational Centennial website.


Authorization and mission

In 1998, the
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
passed the Centennial of Flight Commemoration Act, Public Law 105–389, 105th Congress (November 13, 1998), as amended by Public Law 106–68,
106th Congress The 106th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from January 3, 19 ...
(Oct. 6, 1999).Hall, Tony P. Rep. -OH-3Bill
"H.R.5077 - Centennial of Flight Commemoration Act,"
Introduced 09/22/1994,
U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
of the 103rd Congress (1993-1994), retrieved December 2017
Regulations for the commission were incorporated into the
Code of Federal Regulations In the law of the United States, the ''Code of Federal Regulations'' (''CFR'') is the codification of the general and permanent regulatory law, regulations promulgated by the executive departments and agencies of the federal government of the ...
as "67 FR 758 - U_S_ Centennial of Flight Commission.""67 FR 758 - U_S_ Centennial of Flight Commission.htm"
Government Printing Office The United States Government Publishing Office (USGPO or GPO), formerly the United States Government Printing Office, is an agency of the Legislature, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal gove ...
, retrieved December 4, 2017
The commission had limited authority and resources, and was chiefly charged by Congress to play the leading role in coordinating and publicizing activities celebrating the achievements of Wilbur and Orville Wright and commemorate a century of powered flight. The commission's primary responsibilities were: *To generate publicity for the celebration *To encourage individuals and organizations across the country to conduct commemorative activities *To give advice and recommendations to individuals and organizations conducting commemorative activities *To maintain a Web site and a national calendar of events *To send representatives to international meetings *To maintain a speakers bureau *To supervise staff operations *To sponsor meetings


Funding

Congressional appropriations totaled $4 million
USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...
() over the committee's lifespan. From FY1999 through FY2001, the commission was funded through specific line-items in the
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...
operations appropriations. In subsequent years, the commission was funded through general agency appropriations. The Centennial of Flight Commission, are provided with the authority to accept only nonmonetary donations. In this instance, the statutory language stated: "The Commission may accept donations of personal services and historic materials relating to the implementation of its responsibilities under the provisions of this Act."Glassman, Matthew E. and Jacob R. Straus
Commemorative Commissions: Overview, Structure, and Funding,"
January 3, 2017,
Congressional Research Service The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a public policy research institute of the United States Congress. Operating within the Library of Congress, it works primarily and directly for members of Congress and their committees and staff on a ...
, retrieved December 4, 2017


Members and participants

The Commission consisted of representatives of public and private American organizations, including:"Calendar of Events"
''U. S. Centennial of Flight'' website, U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission, retrieved December 4, 2017
*''Commission Chair:'' General John R. Dailey, Director. Smithsonian
National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States, dedicated to history of aviation, human flight and space exploration. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, ...
Detail: "National Centennial of Flight Kick-off"
''Calendar of Events,'' ''U. S. Centennial of Flight'' website, U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission, retrieved December 4, 2017
* Marion Blakey, Administrator,
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...
(FAA) *
Sean O'Keefe Sean Charles O'Keefe (born January 27, 1956) is a university professor at Syracuse University Maxwell School, former chairman of Airbus Group, Inc., former Secretary of the Navy, former Administrator of NASA, and former chancellor of Louisiana ...
, Administrator,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the United States's civil space program, aeronautics research and space research. Established in 1958, it su ...
(NASA) *Richard T. Howard, President, First Flight Centennial Foundation *
Tom Poberezny Thomas Paul Poberezny (October 3, 1946 – July 25, 2022) was an American aerobatic world champion aviator, as well as chairman of the annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Fly-In and Convention (now named AirVe ...
, President and CEO, EAA Aviation Foundation, affiliate of the
Experimental Aircraft Association The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Since its inception, it has grown internationally with over 300,000 members and nearly 1,000 chapters worldwide. ...
(EAA) *J. Bradford Tillson, chair, Inventing Flight The affiliated First Flight Centennial Federal Advisory Board was made up of various aviation dignitaries and public figures appointed by the President or the Congress, or designated by statute."First Flight Centennial Federal Advisory Board Members"
''U. S. Centennial of Flight'' website, U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission, retrieved December 4, 2017
CofC later added numerous affiliates, including: * The First Flight Centennial Commission of North Carolina (FFCC), to focus on Centennial events in North Carolina"The U.S. Centennial Of Flight Commission Signs MOA With First Flight Centennial Commission Of North Carolina,"
Nov 26, 2001, ''The Weekly Of Business Aviation'' retrieved December 4, 2017
* The Oklahoma Centennial of Flight Commission of
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
, "to promote aviation activities throughout the state, establish and promote educational activities relating to Oklahoma’s aviation history, and celebrate a century of aviation." * Crown Agents Stamp Bureau, of
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, "to create a collection of official postage stamps featuring civilian and military aircraft of the last 100 years." * The Space Day Foundation, for space-related education and academic motivation, particularly through "Space Day" (SM), a large "grassroots educational initiative" reportedly "reaching thousands of teachers and millions of students in the United States, Canada and beyond." The 2003 Space Day theme was "Space Day 2003SM: Celebrating the Future of Flight," to complement the efforts of CoFC to encourage enthusiasm for flight and innovation among young people.Keegan, Sarah, RELEASE 01-176
"U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission Announces Four New Alliances,"
September 17, 2002,
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
Headquarters, Washington, D.C., as archived, retrieved December 3, 2014;
* The Challenger Center—which uses space as a theme to excite, inspire and encourage students in the study of mathematics and science, and the application of technology. CofC's alliance was to have the Challenger Center, via Space Day 2003 (SM), challenge students, in grades four through eight, "to design and build models of aircraft using the ingenuity and creativity of the Wrights as inspiration." * The Aviation Foundation of America, Inc., to sponsor the re-creation of the
National Air Tour The Ford Reliability Tour, properly called "The National Air Tour for the Edsel B. Ford Reliability Trophy", was a series of aerial tours sponsored in part by Ford Motor Company, Ford from 1925 to 1931 and re-created in 2003. Top prize was the Ed ...
s of the 1920s and 1930s—with dozens of vintage aircraft to fly the 1932 National Air Tour route that had been planned, but was never flown, around the U.S. heartland. * The Chicago Centennial of Flight Commission (CCFC) organized by a group of aviation industry organizations from the
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
area, and the
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, to promote aviation awareness using public exhibits. It planned centennial activities including a model-airplane exhibit, at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, in 2003, from May to September, titled ''Chicago Centennial of Flight: 100 History-Making Aircraft'', plus "events and symposia throughout 2003," with hopes of also producing programs promoting aviation education for elementary and secondary school students.


Programs and events

In addition to the programs and events noted in the #Members and Participants section, the CoFC was involved with numerous other activities. The National Centennial of Flight Kick-off event, was held December 17, 2002—a year before the 100th anniversary of the Wright flight—at the
Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...
's
National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States, dedicated to history of aviation, human flight and space exploration. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, ...
, in
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It included a Presidential proclamation and the recognition of numerous aviation and aerospace pioneers, with presentations from Chairman Dailey, actor/aviator
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, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, and NASA Administrator
Sean O'Keefe Sean Charles O'Keefe (born January 27, 1956) is a university professor at Syracuse University Maxwell School, former chairman of Airbus Group, Inc., former Secretary of the Navy, former Administrator of NASA, and former chancellor of Louisiana ...
. On the same day, in North Carolina, a commemoration was held near Kitty Hawk—a daylong anniversary tribute at the site of the Wrights' first flight, the Wright Brothers National Memorial, at Kill Devil Hills. Speakers included North Carolina Governor Michael F. Easley and
U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its origins to 1 ...
Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart, commander of
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and
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.VIDEO
''Centennial of Flight,''
...a ceremony..." December 17, 2002,
C-SPAN Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American Cable television in the United States, cable and Satellite television in the United States, satellite television network, created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a Non ...
, retrieved December 2017
"Centennial of Flight kicks off year of festivities,"
December 17, 2002, Air Force Print News. retrieved December 4, 2017
Numerous other commemoration events, and related projects, were urged, planned or supported throughout the nation, throughout the "centennial year" (December 17, 2002 to December 17, 2003), particularly in
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
and
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
. The principal, and grand finale, First Flight Centennial Celebration was held December 12–17, 2003, at the Wright Brothers National Memorial at the approximate site of their first powered flight at
Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina Kill Devil Hills is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 7,633 at the 2020 census. It is the most populous settlement in both Dare County and on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The Kill Devil Hills micro ...
. President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
was present, and numerous military and civilian aircraft performed. The event was marred by foul weather, and failed attempts to fly a replica of the
1903 Wright Flyer The ''Wright Flyer'' (also known as the ''Kitty Hawk'', ''Flyer'' I or the 1903 ''Flyer'') made the first sustained flight by a manned heavier-than-air powered and controlled aircraft on December 17, 1903. Invented and flown by brothers Orvi ...
.VIDEO
''First Flight Centennial Ceremony,''
December 17, 2003,
C-SPAN Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American Cable television in the United States, cable and Satellite television in the United States, satellite television network, created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a Non ...
, retrieved December 2017
Ruane. Michael and Guy Gugliotta
"With First Flight, a 'Great Line Had Been Crossed',"
December 18, 2003
Development of the event reportedly had been hindered by interagency difficulty and conflict, and mismanagement, including North Carolina's FFCC.Sizemore, Bill and Catherine Kozak, The ''
Virginian-Pilot ''The Virginian-Pilot'' is the daily newspaper for Hampton Roads, Virginia. Commonly known as ''The Pilot'', it is Virginia's largest daily. It serves the five cities of South Hampton Roads as well as several smaller towns across southeast Virgi ...
,'
"Centennial of flight event failing to get off the ground,"
October 13, 2002, ''
The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...
'' retrieved December 4, 2017
Stimson, Dr. Richard, , Wright-Stories.com website, retrieved December 4, 2017


Website

One of the Centennial of Flight Commission's principal efforts was the development of the organization's Centennial of Flight website, a 17,000-page online encyclopedia of aviation history (chiefly U.S. aviation history), with hundreds of articles, and thousands of illustrations. The Commission claimed the website provided "the most up-to-date information on celebration activity, as well as the most comprehensive collection of outstanding educational essays, multimedia and links regarding the history of flight." The site's development and operation consumed about four million dollars, of mostly federal funds, but the site became very popular during the Centennial year, peaking at over 4 million visitors per month by December 2003 (the 100th anniversary month). The site was maintained at the internet domain centennialofflight.gov by NASA. Following the closing of the CoFC in April 2004, responsibility for the site transferred to the NASA History Office, who maintained the site online, basically unchanged, until budget cutbacks and server-computer problems motivated its abandonment by NASA in September 2012. Various parties salvaged parts of the site, including the
American Aviation Historical Society The American Aviation Historical Society (AAHS) is a non-profit organization "dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of he history ofAmerican aviation.""AAHS Mission," Winter 2019, ''AAHS Journal'', vol.64, no.4, page 242, retrieved May 1 ...
(AAHS), who acquired copies of the computer code for the site from NASA. In 2013, a member of AAHS donated the domain name centennialofflight.net to AAHS, to accommodate an archive—maintained by AAHS—of the original official Centennial of Flight website. AAHS made structural "clean-ups" to the site (removing broken links and obsolete calendar data), and initiating other edits, highlighted with dark red lettering.


Termination

The Commission closed in 2004, following the end of its scheduled functions. As part of the commission's charter, there were provisions for certain material to be preserved, particularly the large website, which was assigned to the NASA History Office.


References

{{reflist


External links


Centennial of Flight website
as archived by the
American Aviation Historical Society The American Aviation Historical Society (AAHS) is a non-profit organization "dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of he history ofAmerican aviation.""AAHS Mission," Winter 2019, ''AAHS Journal'', vol.64, no.4, page 242, retrieved May 1 ...

''Audit of the Centennial of Flight Commission for Fiscal Year 2003 and though May 19, 2004,''
GAO-04-599R, Published: Jun 18, 2004. Publicly released: Jun 18, 2004, U.S.
Government Accountability Office The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan government agency within the legislative branch that provides auditing, evaluative, and investigative services for the United States Congress. It is the s ...
(GAO).
"U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission... On the C-SPAN Networks"
2 videos in the C-SPAN Video Library:
''First Flight Centennial Ceremony,''
December 17, 2003 *
''Centennial of Flight,''
...a ceremony..." December 17, 2002
"Centennial of Flight - National Archives Search Results,"
National Archives and Records Administration The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...
, Washington, D.C. United States federal boards, commissions, and committees Aviation organizations History organizations United States historical anniversaries 2003 in the United States December 2003 in the United States Organizations established in 1999 Organizations disestablished in 2004 Government agencies established in 1999 Government agencies disestablished in 2004 1999 establishments in the United States Wright brothers