[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 14104-14106]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING DAYTON, OHIO, AND ITS MANY PARTNERS FOR HOSTING ``INVENTING 
                  FLIGHT: THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION''

  Mr. TURNER of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 162) honoring the City 
of Dayton, Ohio, and its many partners, for hosting ``Inventing Flight: 
The Centennial Celebration'', a celebration of the centennial of Wilbur 
and Orville Wright's first flight.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 162

       Whereas 2003 marks the centennial of Wilbur and Orville 
     Wright's achievement of the first controlled, powered flight 
     in history;
       Whereas Wilbur and Orville Wright grew up and worked at a 
     bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, where they developed, built, 
     and refined the first successful, heavier-than-air, manned, 
     powered aircraft;
       Whereas the Wright brothers developed the world's first 
     flying field, the world's first flying school, and the 
     world's first airplane manufacturing company in the Dayton, 
     Ohio area;
       Whereas many legacies of the Wrights' inventiveness and 
     creativity still exists in the region, including Wright-
     Patterson Air Force Base, the Dayton Aviation Heritage 
     National Historical Park, the United States Air Force Museum, 
     the National Aviation Hall of Fame, the Wright ``B'' Flyers, 
     the Engineers Club of Dayton, among many others;
       Whereas the city of Dayton, area communities, a number of 
     civic groups, private businesses, government agencies, and 
     military partners, are joining together to honor the Nation's 
     aerospace achievements;
       Whereas Dayton is considered the ``Birthplace of Aviation'' 
     and the region will host ``Inventing Flight: The Centennial 
     Celebration'', from July 3 through July 20, 2003, which will 
     be the largest public centennial event in Ohio celebrating 
     the first flight and one of only 4 events nationwide endorsed 
     as a full partner by the United States Centennial of Flight 
     Commission; and
       Whereas the celebration will feature pavilions housing 
     aviation displays, blimp and hot-air balloon races, dance and 
     cultural performances, river shows, historical reenactments, 
     an international air and space symposium, National Aviation 
     Hall of Fame ceremonies, and a military and general aviation 
     show at the Dayton International Airport: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That Congress honors the city of Dayton, Ohio, 
     and its many partners, for hosting ``Inventing Flight: The 
     Centennial Celebration'', a celebration of the centennial of 
     Wilbur and Orville Wright's first flight.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Turner) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Turner).


                             General Leave

  Mr. TURNER of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks on H. Con. Res. 162.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TURNER of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 162 honors the City of 
Dayton, Ohio, and its many partners for hosting Inventing Flight: The 
Centennial Celebration, a celebration of the centennial of Wilbur and 
Orville Wright's first flight.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to speak on behalf of Concurrent 
Resolution 162 as an original cosponsor, along with every member in the 
Ohio delegation, in honoring the City of Dayton, Ohio, as they begin to 
celebrate 2003, Inventing Flight: The Centennial Celebration.
  On December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright launched man's first-
ever sustained and controlled flight in a heavier-than-air engine-
powered aircraft at Kill Devil Hill, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. 
Although the first flight lasted only 12 seconds and covered 
approximately 120 feet, this achievement changed the world forever.
  The Wright Brothers had been fascinated by flight from an early age. 
The vision they shared of sweeping across the sky without boundaries, 
limits or rules, led to countless hours of imagination, experiments, 
and pure hard work. Their lives centered around the possibility of 
flight.
  Together they opened a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, in 1892. Upon 
seeing the countless bicycle shops already in existence during the 
newly industrialized America, they began to believe in the ability of 
flight.
  The lonely hours and late nights spent at drafting tables and 
workshops in Dayton fueled the brothers' obsession with making their 
dream a reality. With every failed trial came a new way of thinking. 
With every small success, they were a step closer to their vision.
  In 1899, they began building kites and gliders to test the theories 
that had been so diligently part of their work. Eventually, they met 
with success and began building their own plane. They built their first 
plane in Dayton, Ohio, and took it to Kitty Hawk to fly it in the 
coastal winds of North Carolina.

                              {time}  1415

  Remarkably, a mere 11 years after the Wright Brothers opened their 
bicycle shop in Dayton, the first successful flight was completed.
  After watching the brothers in flight, an Ohio merchant remarked, 
``Imagine a locomotive that has left its track and is climbing up in 
the air without any wheels, but with white wings instead, and you have 
something like what I saw.''
  In a telegram sent by the Wright Brothers from Kitty Hawk, North 
Carolina to their father, Reverend Milton Wright, on December 17, 1903, 
they said, ``Success. Four flights Thursday morning. All against 21-
mile wind. Started from level with engine power alone. Average speed 
through air, 31 miles. Longest, 59 seconds. Inform press. Home 
Christmas.''
  Success, their achievement, changed our world, making it smaller and 
bringing us all closer together. The super highways of the sky have 
united families, cultures, and encouraged the spread of ideas across 
the world. The achievement of flight, through the determination and 
innovation of the Wright Brothers, changed the world forever on a 
winter day in 1903.
  Upon achieving their first flight, the Wright Brothers returned to 
Dayton, Ohio where they continued to study aerodynamics and perfected 
flight. The location where they learned to sustain flight and, most 
importantly, to turn the aircraft is today the location of Wright 
Patterson Air Force Base where the Air Force continues to perfect 
flight and advance our advantage in aerodynamics and composite 
structures for airplanes.
  In his youth, Wilbur Wright was afflicted with the belief that flight 
is possible. Together the brothers were crazy enough to believe that 
they, two men from Ohio, the heartland of America, could change the 
world with the achievement of flight. It is our great good fortune in 
their youth their hearts were touched with fire.
  Leonardo DaVinci envisioned a flying machine that would be carried 
upward and freely roam the skies in search of adventure, new places, 
and far-away cultures. The Wright Brothers applied their knowledge of 
mechanics and motion to achieve their collective dream. Today, flight 
remains as magical and awe-inspiring as it did when DaVinci dreamed of 
flying and the Wright Brothers first took to the skies.
  In honor of the Wright Brothers' flight, Dayton, Ohio invites the 
Nation

[[Page 14105]]

to a celebration of the first century of powered flight with the 
Inventing Flight Celebration, a 17-day event starting on July 3 and 
ending on July 20 with the Dayton Air Show. Some of the groups 
performing include the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels, the U.S. Air Force 
Thunderbirds, and the Canadian Forces Snow Birds. This once-in-a-
lifetime show will be of Olympic proportions, complete with fireworks, 
blimp races, acrobatic air maneuvers, special guest speakers, 
children's centers, and orbit zones. Attendees can enjoy the Wright 
Brothers National Park, which includes the original and first airplane 
of the Wright Brothers that was capable of sustaining flight; the 
United States Air Force Museum, which hosts over 1 million visitors a 
year; and the National Aviation Hall of Fame, which chronicles the 
accomplishments of our aviation history.
  In closing, let me thank the members of the Ohio congressional 
delegation for joining me in sponsoring this legislation. I also want 
to thank the people of Dayton, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, and the 
surrounding communities for their enthusiastic support of the Inventing 
Flight Centennial celebration. I would also invite all Members of 
Congress and their families and their staffs to come to Dayton, Ohio 
with us to celebrate one of the world's most remarkable achievements: 
flight. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I want to commend the gentleman from Ohio for introducing this 
resolution commemorating the work of Wilbur and Orville Wright, who 
manned the first successful, controlled, and sustained power flight, 
and to signal that at this time we are going to celebrate, with a 
Festival of Flight in Dayton, Ohio, their accomplishments. It is 
fitting on the day that we commemorate Walt Disney for his flight of 
fancy that we also have the Festival of Flight for the Wright Brothers 
as part of the agenda on the schedule for today, as our rhetoric soars 
as well and flies ever higher in salute of great Americans.
  In October of 1998, this body passed a bill to establish the 
commemoration of the centennial of powered flight and the achievements 
of the Wright Brothers. The commemoration activities set forth in that 
bill will come to fruition this year with the Festival of Flight. The 
festival will consist of four events that will be held nationwide to 
celebrate the first flight of the Wright Brothers.
  The Wright Brothers originally had a bicycle store in Dayton, Ohio. 
They later moved to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina for the hills, strong 
and steady winds, and the soft, sandy ground, all ingredients for 
successful flight. They went back to Dayton and built a 6-foot wind 
tunnel to conduct experiments with over 200 different wing models. They 
developed the first reliable tables on the effects of air pressure on 
curved surfaces, the principles that we use today and that we see on 
every airplane. In 1903, the Wright Brothers completed the construction 
of a larger plane, powered by their own lightweight gas-powered engine, 
and returned to Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903. Four men and a boy 
witnessed the first flight, a flight which dramatically changed the 
course of transportation, commerce, communication, and warfare 
throughout the world.
  I hope that the Festival of Flight will educate Americans to the 
achievement of the Wright Brothers and their contributions to the 
development of this Nation. I want to join my colleague in urging all 
of the Members to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. TURNER of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the distinguished 
ranking member of the Committee on Government Reform for being here for 
the consideration of this legislation, and I again invite everyone to 
come to the Wright Dunbar National Park, the United States Air Force 
Museum, and the National Aviation Hall of Fame as part of the 
celebration in Dayton.
  I have no other speakers. Again, I urge all of the Members to support 
the adoption of House Concurrent Resolution 162.
  Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution to 
honor the city of Dayton, Ohio, and its many partners, for hosting 
``Investing Flight: The Centennial Celebration,'' commemorating the 
100th Anniversary of Wilbur and Orville Wright's first flight.
  It is with great excitement that the U.S. House of Representatives is 
considering this resolution. It is rare that the United States, or the 
entire world for that matter, can come together in celebration of one 
truly historic and life changing event. This event occurred 100 years 
ago on December 17th, and lasted for an unprecedented 12 seconds. 
During those 12 seconds, Wilbur Wright sustained the first controlled, 
powered flight in history.
  Events are already in full swing for the Centennial of Flight. The 
new Huffman Prairie Interpretive Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force 
Base is now open to visitors, the flying replica of the Wright Brothers 
original aircraft is making its first flights, and with the support of 
Congress, the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park is ready 
to receive thousands of enthusiastic visitors.
  The year promises to hold many special events that will bring 
national attention and provide a fitting tribute to the aviation 
pioneers of Ohio. North Carolina can claim the location of the first 
flight by the Wright Brothers, but it is their hometown that saw the 
laborious construction and endless testing that are required to allow 
it to take to the sky.
  Best of all will be the main event. I encourage all of you to mark 
your calendars for July 3 as we begin the festivities to celebrate this 
great achievement in human history. The entire event will last from 
July 3 to July 20, 2003, and will be the largest public centennial 
event in Ohio celebrating the first flight. Additionally, it will be 
one of only 4 events nationwide endorsed as a full partner by the 
United States Centennial of Flight Commission.
  From the Wright Brothers to today's cutting edge aerospace research 
at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton has a rich aviation 
tradition that will be evident to all of this year's activities and 
commemorative events. One cannot help but ponder what the next 100 
years will hold for flight, but I am certain that Ohio will continue to 
play a major role in our ongoing quest to push the limits of air and 
space flight.
  As an Ohioan, I am proud to reside in the same state as the two 
brothers whose invention changed the world.
  Mr. Speaker, I join today with my colleagues, aviation enthusiasts, 
and people across the country in support of this resolution.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, in October 1998, this body passed 
a bill to establish a commemoration of the centennial of powered flight 
and the achievements of the Wright Brothers.
  The commemoration activities set forth in that bill will come to 
fruition this year with the Festival of Flight. The Festival of Flight 
will consist of four events that will be held nationwide to celebrate 
Wilbur and Orville Wright's first flight.
  Wilbur and Orville Wright manned the first successful controlled and 
sustained powered flight. The Wright Brothers, originally bicycle store 
owners from Dayton, Ohio, moved to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina for the 
hills, strong and steady winds, and the soft-sanded ground--ingredients 
for successful flight.
  They went back to Dayton and built a six-foot wind tunnel to conduct 
experiments with over 200 different wing models. They developed the 
first reliable tables on the effects of air pressure on curved 
surfaces, the principles that we use today and that you see on every 
airplane.
  In 1903, the Wright Brothers completed the construction of a larger 
plane powered by their own lightweight gas-powered engine and returned 
to Kitty Hawk. On December 17, 1903, four men and a boy witnessed the 
first flight--a flight which dramatically changed the course of 
transportation, commerce, communication, and warfare throughout the 
world.
  I hope that the Festival of Flight will educate Americans to the 
achievements of the Wright Brothers and their contributions to the 
development of this nation.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. 
Res. 162, honoring the City of Dayton, Ohio for its Inventing Flight 
celebration commemorating the 100th anniversary of powered flight.
  In addition to commending Dayton's efforts this year, efforts which 
actually began back in 1989, we would be remiss if we neglected to pay 
tribute to the dedication Dayton, the Miami

[[Page 14106]]

Valley community, and the military and civilian personnel at Wright 
Patterson Air Force Base have shown in both preserving Wilbur and 
Orville Wright's legacy and advancing the dream of human flight.
  One hundred years ago, the Wright Brothers made Ohio the ``Birthplace 
of Aviation.'' It was in their bicycle shop in Dayton, now part of the 
Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, that the Wright Brothers 
researched and designed the first successful, heavier-than-air, manned, 
powered aircraft. It was there in Dayton, on the Huffman Flying 
Prairie, where the brothers learned to fly--where they learned to 
control and maneuver their aircraft.
  Today, the tradition of the Wright Brothers lives on in the Dayton 
community. Engineers, scientists, and inventors continue to research, 
develop, and test the latest advances in airpower at the Wright 
Patterson Air Force laboratories. At the Air Force Institute of 
Technology, they learn the technical skills to build the aircraft of 
the future. At the United States Air Force Museum, three hangars attest 
to the commitment the community has to preserve the history of the Air 
Force and its contributions to the advancement of powered flight.
  July 3, 2003 marks the beginning of the month-long Inventing Flight 
activities, transforming Dayton into an international hub of aviation 
entertainment. The Centennial Celebration, the largest public 
centennial event in Ohio celebrating the first powered flight, is one 
of only four nationwide events endorsed as a full partner by the United 
States Centennial of Flight Commission. The Centennial Celebration 
includes the Dayton Air Show at the Dayton International Airport. This 
year's show will include an unprecedented joint appearance by all three 
North American jet demonstration teams: the Air Force Thunderbirds, the 
Navy Blue Angels, and the Canadian Forces Snowbirds.
  I am proud to represent communities working so tirelessly to preserve 
and promote powered fight, a community where the Wright Brothers lived, 
dreamed, invented, and perfected man's first powered aircraft. In 
Dayton, the legacy of aviation is celebrated for its critical 
contributions to the economy, to business and personal travel, and to 
our military. I salute Dayton' legacy and extend an invitation to 
everyone throughout our country to visit this city and all of the 
Southwest Ohio and to join the celebration where Imagination Takes 
Flight.
  Mr. GILLMOR. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 
162, a resolution honoring the City of Dayton, Ohio for its celebration 
of Wilbur and Orville Wright's first flight in 1902. This important 
resolution is supported by the entire Ohio delegation.
  From military aircraft to NASA shuttles, these brothers are 
responsible for the foundation of the modern aviation industry and they 
deserve our gratitude. In their hometown of Dayton, the brothers worked 
in a bicycle shop, which would become their aviation laboratory. 
Although they were not the first to conceive a fixed-wing aircraft, 
their tinkering eventually led them to design the first craft that 
could be controlled. Aircraft, robots and even submarines rely upon the 
principles the brothers developed to control yaw, pitch and roll. Their 
innovations have allowed our world to become connected by rapid air 
travel.
  Today, the City of Dayton, and the State of Ohio, remain an important 
aviation center, with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and NASA 
facilities Glenn and Plum Brook Station near my district.
  I want to thank my colleague for introducing this important 
resolution and the City of Dayton.
  Mr. TURNER of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Stearns). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Turner) that the House suspend 
the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 162.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. TURNER of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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