With the 107th anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ first heavier-than-air powered flight in Kitty Hawk being celebrated on Dec. 17, Gov. Bev Perdue is recognizing that accomplishment and the role aviation and aerospace play in North Carolina.
Gov. Perdue proclaimed Dec. 3-10 Aviation Appreciation Week to recognize the accomplishments of commercial and general aviation, as well as aerospace companies and other groups and individuals “who continue to keep North Carolina First in Flight.” The proclamation is attached to this release.
“The Governor’s continued support of aviation is invaluable to this ever-growing segment of our economy,” said Richard Walls, (pictured at right), director of the N.C. Department of Transportation Division of Aviation.
The First Flight Society’s celebration will be held on Dec. 16-17 in Kitty Hawk. The group will recognize women in aviation and celebrate the anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ flight.
For more information about the anniversary celebration, go to www.firstflight.org. For more information about the NCDOT Division of Aviation, go to www.ncdot.gov/transit/aviation.
AVIATION APPRECIATION WEEK
2010
BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, North Carolina is especially proud of its rich heritage in aviation, beginning with Orville and Wilbur Wright’s first powered flight on the sands of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina is home to more than 10 active duty military airfield aircraft installations serving all branches of the Armed Forces, more than 100,000 active duty military personnel and more than 17,000 civilian aviation employees who make significant contributions to North Carolina and abroad; and
WHEREAS, the Fleet Readiness Center at Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station has provided excellence and logistical support for the Navy and Marines jet and helicopter aircraft for more than 60 years; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina has 74 publicly owned airports, four of which are international, and more than 300 privately owned airports located throughout the State; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina is the first state in the nation to have statewide Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) coverage; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina has more than 7,000 registered aircraft based in the State and more than 14,000 licensed pilots; and
WHEREAS, more than 47 million passengers fly to and from the State and more than 800 million pounds of air freight originate annually in North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina has more than 180 aerospace companies engaged in manufacturing that employ more than 9,500 skilled aviation workers; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina has a solid supply chain in aerospace, with the greatest strengths in aircraft manufacturing aircraft engines and engine parts manufacturing; and
WHEREAS, aviation plays a vital role in the lives of our citizens, businesses and rural counties across North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina’s education system has established and maintains Aeronautical Engineering and Aerospace Education Programs that have produced notable graduates who have made significant contributions to the advancement of aviation and aerospace in the United States and abroad; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina aviation accounts for more than $12 billion in annual economic impact, employs more that 75,000 aviation enthusiasts with an estimated annual payroll of $2 billion; and
WHEREAS, given the vastness of North Carolina, from our western mountains to our costal beaches and all points in between, our communities depend on aviation for access to medical treatment, civil defense, mobility, economic prosperity and natural disaster relief;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BEVERLY EAVES PERDUE, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim the week of December 3-10, 2010, as “AVIATION APPRECIATION WEEK” in North Carolina and commend its observance to all citizens as a time to celebrate commercial and general aviation and aerospace companies, and thank those who continue to keep North Carolina First in Flight.
BEVERLY EAVES PERDUE
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this twenty-fifth day of August in the year of our Lord two thousand and ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
