[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 8 (Thursday, January 16, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S1073]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DeWINE (for himself and Mr. Voinovich):
  S. 180. A bill to establish the National Aviation Heritage Area, and 
for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, today I join my friend and colleague from 
Ohio, Senator George Voinovich, to introduce the National Aviation 
Heritage Area Act, an act to establish a National Aviation Heritage 
Area within our home State of Ohio.
  For hundreds of years prior to the 20th Century, man dreamt of 
flying. Some of the earliest records of mankind reveal a fascination 
with birds and the ability to leave the ground. In fact, the 
Renaissance revolution in art showed us many of the first recorded 
designs for achieving this feat. By 1903, man succeeded, altering the 
course of modern history.
  This year, we mark the 100th anniversary of manned flight. I am proud 
to say that the famed Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville, were native 
Ohioans. These two men are important symbols of an evolving age of 
discovery, an age beginning with the Wright Brothers' first controlled, 
heavier-than-air flight on December 17, 1903. A mere half-a-century or 
so later, mankind was flying not just above the ground, but above our 
planet Earth, which was quickly followed by Neil Armstrong's first 
steps on the moon. It is amazing to just sit back and consider that all 
of these things, all of these incredible achievements have all occurred 
in a very short span of less than one hundred years.
  There is so much to say about the historical and cultural 
significance of the birth of aviation, but I think one of its unique 
educational aspects is its ability to be interactive with students 
outside of the classroom. And, that is one of the main reasons we are 
introducing our National Aviation Heritage Area legislation today.
  Our bill seeks to help foster strong public and private investments 
in many of Ohio's aviation landmarks, landmarks that have enormous 
educational value. Some of these landmarks include the Wright Brothers' 
``Wright Cycle Company,'' located in Dayton and the Wright-Dunbar 
Interpretive Center, where students of all ages can learn about the 
painstaking measures the Wright Brothers and many of their predecessors 
took to achieve what today seems to be so commonplace. Other landmarks 
include the Huffman Prairie Flying Field, where, after the Wright 
Brothers' famous flight in Kitty Hawk, NC, the Brothers returned home 
to perfect the design of the world's first airplane and the Paul 
Laurence Dunbar State Memorial, which showcases this great African 
American poet's strong international voice for racial equality and 
justice. The Heritage Area also includes the Neil Armstrong Museum, 
which highlights the great achievements of man's first walk on the 
moon. If I may add also, Neil Armstrong is a native Ohioan.
  Flight has become a very important square in the patchwork of our 
nation's history, and I am proud that my home State of Ohio has played 
such a large role in its evolution. We are reminded of how manned 
flight has changed our history every time we look skyward and see the 
crisscross of jet contrails. We are reminded of this every time we walk 
through the Rotunda of our very own U.S. Capitol and see the last 
frieze square that depicts the Wright Brothers and their invention. 
And, we are reminded of this by one of the great symbols of America, 
the eagle, a flying bird that represents the freedom of a people.
  It is vital that we protect the sites that have played such an 
important role in aviation. In doing so, we can enhance the education 
and enrichment of our children and our grandchildren for many years to 
come.
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