Washington, D.C.
Oct. 29, 2003

More than 18,000 students in 46 states are busy predicting whether it will rain, sleet or snow in North Carolina on Dec. 17, 2003 - the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first powered flight. Think you have what it takes to wager a guess? If so, you better act fast - the deadline for registration is Sunday, Nov. 2.

The students, who are in grades K-12, are participants in the 2003 Flight Forecast Program, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity integrating science, math and history. The contest is part of a Web-based and classroom learning experience developed by the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission and The Franklin Institute Science Museum. The project challenges students to predict the weather conditions at Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, N.C, on Dec. 17, 2003. On that day, the world will watch an attempt to re-create the first flight with the most accurate reproduction of the 1903 flyer ever built.

Teachers are able to access interactive Web learning modules, online quizzes, classroom activities and historical weather data that students can analyze as a basis for predicting the weather on Dec. 17, 2003. The site will highlight projects as Dec. 17 draws closer and will announce the winners shortly after the event.

Registration for the 2003 Flight Forecast contest is available through the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission Web site (www.centennialofflight.gov). Teachers may register their students for the contest through Nov. 2. The Commission will accept forecast predictions by students, teams or entire classes between Nov. 3 and Nov. 17. Once on the Web site, teachers also will find activities and information to help their students explore aviation and meteorology.

"We are extremely pleased with the number of students and teachers who have already registered to participate in the program," said Gen. J.R. "Jack" Dailey, chairman of the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission. "With the centennial of the first powered flight rapidly approaching, students across the country are getting excited about flight, as well as math, science and history. The program is an excellent opportunity for teachers to tie everything together in the context of current events."

Forecasts will be collected in three grade groupings, K-4, 5-8 and 9-12, with the complexity of the forecast increasing at the higher grade levels. Forecasts must be submitted online no later than Nov. 17, 2003, and prizes will be available for the most accurate forecasters within each grade group.

The 2003 Flight Forecast program is a part of the national Centennial of Flight: Born of Dreams - Inspired by Freedom campaign coordinated by the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first powered flight. A number of educational materials and resources related to the history of flight are available at www.centennialofflight.gov.

The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission was created by Congress to expand national and international interest in the commemoration of the centennial of powered flight. The Commission is coordinating a national outreach campaign and advising the President, Congress and federal agencies on the most effective ways to encourage and promote national and international participation in 2003. Its members include the director of the National Air and Space Museum, the administrators of NASA and the FAA, the presidents of the Experimental Aircraft Association and First Flight Centennial Foundation of North Carolina, and the chairman of Inventing Flight: Dayton 2003. More information about the Commission can be found on the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission Web site at http://www.centennialofflight.gov.

For more than 176 years, The Franklin Institute has been as much a part of the Philadelphia landscape as the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Situated on the prestigious Benjamin Franklin Parkway leading into Center City Philadelphia, the Institute attracts nearly 850,000 visitors every year to enjoy an exciting array of high tech, interactive exhibits. The Institute is most frequently visited museum in Pennsylvania, and third most-visited tourist attraction in the Philadelphia area. As the custodian of the Wright Aeronautical Engineering Collection, The Franklin Institute has a long history of preserving and celebrating the legacy of Orville and Wilbur Wright. For more information, please visit The Franklin Institute online at http://www.fi.edu.

Contact:

Julie Breissinger
U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission
804.675.8167
jbreissinger@crtpr.com