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| About Aero Club | Newsletter Aero Club NewsNovember 2003 President's ReportSpencer Dickerson “Hell’s popping—the gasoline motor is in the air, and man with outspread sheets is astride of it! It is so simple it annoys one. It is inconceivable yet, having seen it, it now seems the most natural thing in the air. One is amazed human kind has not built it before.” The wonderment of Aero Club of America President Gutzon Borglum was clearly evident as he wrote this letter on September 10, 1908, after witnessing demonstration flight trials for the U.S. Army earlier that day of the “Wright Flyer” at Fort Myer, Virginia. “This is no experiment,” Borglum continued. “Man has put, safety and forever, his shod heel into the blue heavens, and glides about as on ice…and will rub out the boundaries of the world.” Although nearly five years after Wilbur and Orville Wright’s historic first powered, manned, heavierthan- air, controlled flight on December 17, 1903, the exhilarating notion of a flying machine appeared still to mesmerize all who witnessed it. My personal thanks to Linda Daschle who found this incredible letter at the Library of Congress. It is the 100th anniversary of this monumental feat of human engineering that we will gather to celebrate at the 2003 Wright Memorial Dinner, sponsored by the Aero Club of Washington and set for December 12, 2003 in the Signature Flight Support hangar at Washington Reagan National Airport. This will be Washington’s premier event to celebrate this milestone in history, and is an occasion not to be missed. For this very special anniversary, we have a very special honoree who has been selected to receive the 2003 National Aeronautics Association Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy. This individual has dedicated his life to the development of U.S. aviation, from his days as a Marine Corps pilot to his service as a U.S. astronaut in the early 60s to his memorable return to space in October 1998. And then there was that distinguished 25-year career as a U.S. senator from the state of Ohio, birthplace of the Wright Brothers. Few individuals in the history of the NAA Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy have been more deserving of the honor than the Honorable John Glenn. As integral a part of our daily lives as aviation is today, it is hard to imagine life before airplanes. More than 600 million people now enjoy the efficiency and convenience of air transportation, no thanks to the original reaction of the U.S. government to Wilbur and Orville’s creation. In January of 1905, the brothers contacted their congressman to inquire if the government were interested in their experiments and machine. Their reply? A form letter that indicated the U.S. Board of Ordnance and Fortifications was not interested in “financing experiments.” Later that same year, the Wrights offered their services to the U.S. Secretary of War—and again they were rebuffed. The brothers persevered and, two years after receiving a patent on a “Flying Machine” in May 1906, the U.S. War Department concluded a $25,000 contract with the Wrights to purchase one. And the rest, as they say, is history. 56th Annual Wright Memorial Dinner to Honor Senator John Glenn“Dreams of Flight…Celebrating 100 Years of Aviation Achievement”WASHINGTON, DC, November 3, 2003—Final plans are underway to celebrate 100 years of aviation achievement as the industry gathers to honor one of the great aviators of all time. On Friday evening, December 12, the Aero Club of Washington will take a look into the past to see what the future holds as the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) presents one of America’s aerospace heroes, Senator John Glenn, with the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy. Presented annually to “a living individual for significant public service of enduring value, as a civilian, to aviation in the United States,” Glenn was chosen for his public achievements in aviation and aerospace, which spanned over more than six decades. As the recipient of the trophy during this year of celebration, Glenn was the natural choice to represent the achievements and vision of the Wright Brothers. From his time as a military pilot and service in World War II and the Korean War, to his selection as one of the original seven Mercury astronauts, to being the first American to orbit the Earth and elected as a Senator in his home state of Ohio, to his return to space at age 77, Glenn has been the ultimate hero to America. Senate Democratic Leader, Tom Daschle, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, and John Travolta, actor and aviator, will offer personal tributes honoring Senator Glenn. This year’s Wright Memorial dinner will be like no other in that it will be held inside Signature Flight Support’s hangar at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The venue for the dinner was chosen to help emphasize the special significance of this year’s ceremonies. “National Airport’s history goes back to the 1930s when the air transport industry was in its infancy,” said Aero Club President Spencer J. Dickerson. “And the program we are planning will also speak to the historic nature of the dinner by including a tribute to the Wright Brothers and recognition of the Wright Trophy’s past recipients.” The reception begins at 6:30 p.m. with the presentation of the trophy after dinner. Dress for the occasion will be black tie or military equivalent. Individual tickets, or reservations for tables of 10 are available. Those interested in attending the dinner or in sponsorship opportunities should contact the Aero Club at (703) 327-7082, 1-800-322-3761 or by e-mail at info@aeroclub.org. Special Thanks to Our Wright Memorial Dinner SponsorsAs of November 21, 2003 Platinum
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Did You Know?The mother of Wilbur and Orville Wright was born in Hillsboro, Virginia. The text on the historical marker in Hillsboro reads as follows:
Upcoming LuncheonsNovember 25, 2003
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