Alcoa To Sponsor The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age Exhibition At the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum
Alcoa announced today
its sponsorship of Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum’s
centennial of flight exhibition, “The Wright Brothers & The Invention
of the Aerial Age.” The exhibition debuts in Washington D.C. on
October 11, 2003 and runs through 2004.
The Pittsburgh Reduction Company, now Alcoa, supplied aluminum for
the Wright brothers’ famous 1903 plane, the Wright Flyer. Today, Alcoa
celebrates the centennial of the Wrights’ revolutionary achievement
along with its first collaboration with the aerospace industry by
sponsoring the exhibition.
“We are thrilled to support the National Air and Space Museum in
its effort to commemorate the history, science and technology behind
the birth of the modern airplane,” says Alcoa Chairman and CEO Alain
Belda. “Alcoa’s role in aerospace has grown continually from the
Wright Flyer, to the space shuttle and beyond. We hope this exhibit
will serve as a reminder of the great achievements in aerospace’s
past, and as a challenge to Alcoa and its partners in the aerospace
industry to develop equally beneficial innovations this century.”
The Wright brothers’ passion is seen in the new exhibition through
details showing the ingenuity and creativity that led to their
historic flight. “This exhibition not only celebrates the Wrights’
remarkable technical triumph, but also the spirit of unyielding
curiosity that made it possible,” says National Air and Space Museum
Director Gen. J.R. “Jack” Dailey.
The original Wright Flyer has always hung above the crowds at the
Smithsonian. In this exhibition, for the first time, the revolutionary
machine will sit at eye level, permitting museum visitors to closely
examine its details. The exhibition also features important artifacts
and rare photographs documenting the Wrights’ struggle for flight.
As part of its sponsorship Alcoa will support and encourage a
number of community, educational and web-based initiatives to mark the
celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers’ flight.
These initiatives will help inspire future generations through the
exploration of the history of powered flight.
For more info on The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial
Age exhibition at the National Air and Space Museum, go to
http://www.nasm.si.edu/. For more information on Alcoa and its
involvement in aerospace visit www.alcoa.com/lnk/aero.
Alcoa is the world’s leading producer of primary aluminum,
fabricated aluminum and alumina, and is active in all major aspects of
the industry.
Contact:
Alcoa
William F. Oplinger, 212/836-2674 (Investor Contact)
Kevin Lowery, 412/553-1424 (Media Contact)
