THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 17, 1996 TAG: 9610170336
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: KILL DEVIL HILLS LENGTH: 83 lines
When the 93rd anniversary of the Wright Brothers' first flight lifts off in December, Uncle Sam will send a special gift.
On Dec. 16, the 13th B-2 bomber to roll off the Grumman-Northrop assembly line will be christened ``Spirit of Kitty Hawk,'' thanks to the efforts of Sen. Jesse Helms, U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones Jr. and the Air Force. The plane will be the centerpiece of this year's celebration.
``It took us about a year and a half to get it done,'' First Flight Commission member Col. James A. ``Red'' Smith, USAF Retired, told members of North Carolina's First Flight Centennial Commission Wednesday. ``It was a political and military success.''
The B-2 will be officially named at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro at 10:35 a.m. on Dec. 16, exactly 24 hours before the exact anniversary of the Wrights' historic flight. At 10:35 the following day, the stealth bomber will fly over the Wright Brothers' National Memorial, directly above the path of the 1903 Wright Flyer.
Executives from Grumman-Northrop, including the company's chief executive officer, are expected to attend. State leaders from the public and private sector will also be on hand.
A four-member delegation, including newspaper executive J. Bradford Tillson from The Dayton Daily News, were at Wednesday's commission meeting as part of a three-day visit.
Tillson said reports concerning a split between North Carolina's First Flight Centennial Commission and Ohio's 2003 Committee are greatly exaggerated. The flap allegedly erupted over slogans on state automobile tags.
``There is no rift,'' said Tillson following the meeting. ``This is something we feel the media has tried to stir up. It would make a great story, but there's no controversy.''
Tillson said the two states will celebrate the Wright anniversary in different ways. Ohio plates will bear the words, ``Birthplace of Aviation,'' while North Carolina will continue its use of ``First in Flight.'' The North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation in 1981 to include the words on license plates.
``It's historically accurate for us in Ohio to call ourselves the birthplace of aviation, and it's historically accurate for North Carolina to use `First in Flight,' '' Tillson said.
Members of the Ohio and North Carolina panels are working together with members of both states' congressional delegations to draft legislation creating a federal commission to oversee national observance of the Wright centennial.
``We hope to get that introduced early next year,'' Tillson said. ``We expect that it will be introduced jointly by members of both congressional delegations.''
First Flight Centennial Commission Chairman Melvin Daniels said both state boards support the establishment of a federal panel. However, they want to ensure that it will not interfere with the state celebrations of the centennial.
``We welcome a federal umbrella,'' Daniels said. ``We would like to get federal funding for the renovation at the Wright Memorial. But we want to make sure that they don't step in to try to run our state celebrations here and in Ohio.''
In other business:
The commission unanimously passed a memorial resolution honoring Joseph G. Deneke, former Kill Devil Hills mayor and centennial commission member. Deneke died earlier this year.
Two new members were appointed to the board. Local real estate estate broker Artie B. Ange of Nags Head was chosen by Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight to fill the vacancy left by Deneke's passing. Also appointed to the commission as Dare County's representative was Jack Overman of Manteo. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
THE B-2 BOMBER
Description: The B-2 is a multi-role advanced technology bomber
with stealth (low observability) characteristics. The first B-2
rolled out of its hangar in November 1988, with its first flight a
year later.
Length: 69 feet
Height: 17 feet
Wingspan: 172 feet
Speed: High subsonic
Range: 6,900 miles
Armament: Nuclear short-range attack missiles or conventional
bomb loads.
Cost: $865 million
Source: The Department of Defense by CNB