Two 'Pilots of the Century' Named for Re-Enactment of Wright Brothers' Historic Flight as Part of EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk

Airline Pilot and Engineering Professor to Re-create Roles of Orville and Wilbur Wright

OSHKOSH, Wis., July 29 -- With 140 days remaining until the 100th anniversary of flight, the Experimental Aircraft Association today announced two "Pilots of the Century" as part of its Countdown to Kitty Hawk presented by Ford Motor Company.

Terry Queijo (pronounced KAY-JO) and Dr. Kevin Kochersberger (pronounced COKE-ERS-BERGER) will take to the skies near Kitty Hawk, N.C., as Orville and Wilbur Wright on Dec. 17, 2003, 100 years after the brothers from Dayton, Ohio, flew the first powered flight.

"It's a great honor to be selected by EAA, Ford and The Wright Experience to pilot the 1903 Wright Flyer on the historic day," said Queijo. "I know on that morning the Wright brothers will be looking on with a smile on their faces."

"I've been studying the work of the Wright brothers for the past five years and now to have the chance to experience their first flight is unbelievable," said Kochersberger.

Queijo, of Trappe, Md., was co-pilot of the historic, first all-female flight crew for American Airlines in 1986 and is a captain of Boeing 767 and 757's out of Washington, D.C. Kochersberger, of Honeoye Falls, N.Y., is associate professor of mechanical engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology and a pilot with more than 1,400 hours.

Edsel B. Ford II, great-grandson of auto and aviation pioneer Henry Ford, joined Tom Poberezny, EAA president in announcing the pilots at EAA's annual AirVenture.

"Whether its Terry or Kevin taking the controls of our flyer on Dec. 17 will be determined by the flip of a coin, just as the Wrights did," said Poberezny. "Both are accomplished pilots who are well-qualified for this mission. One pilot will attempt to fly at 10:35 a.m. and the other attempt to fly at 2 p.m. Unlike the Wrights who made four successful attempts before their flyer was damaged by a gust of wind, we will only go for two flights."

The alternate pilots are: Ken Hyde of Warrenton, Va., a retired American Airlines pilot and president and founder of The Wright Experience -- the organization with which EAA contracted to exactly reproduce the 1903 Wright flyer -- and Chris Johnson of Manassas, Va., an American Airlines pilot and a major in the U.S. Air Force Reserves.

Over the past year, all four pilots have undergone extensive training under the direction of renowned test pilot instructor and aviation legend Scott Crossfield, who made aeronautical history as the first person to reach Mach 2 and Mach 3. Under Crossfield's direction with training assistance from Northrop Grumman, testing has included practice in a 1902 glider much like the ones used by the Wrights, and also practice in virtual simulators. Crossfield, EAA officials and program sponsors selected the pilots based on skill and training results.

Today's announcement was made in EAA's 20,000-square-foot Countdown to Kitty Hawk pavilion on the first-day of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2003, which attracts more than 750,000 visitors and 10,000 aircraft. The centerpiece of the pavilion is EAA's 1903 Wright flyer reproduction, which is the world's most accurate thanks to its research, design and testing by The Wright Experience. After Oshkosh, the pavilion travels to Seattle from Aug. 23 - Sept. 1 and Orlando from Oct. 7-9 before the First Flight Centennial Celebration from Dec. 13-17.

After the December re-enactment as part of the First Flight Centennial Celebration in North Carolina, EAA's flyer reproduction will be donated to The Henry Ford for its new "Heroes of the Sky" exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum, fulfilling Henry Ford's dream of putting the historic plane on public display at his museum. The history-making reproduction will join the Wright brothers' original Dayton, Ohio, home and bicycle shop in Dearborn, Mich.

About EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk Presented by Ford Motor Company

EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk is a centennial celebration of the Wright brothers' first powered flight -- an innovation that forever changed our world. Led by EAA, presented by Ford Motor Company and supported by Microsoft Flight Simulator and Eclipse Aviation, this yearlong series of inspirational events honors the innovation and determination it takes to make world-changing dreams a reality. Countdown to Kitty Hawk features an interactive touring pavilion and the world's most-accurate 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction that will exclusively re-enact the Wright brothers' first flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C., on Dec. 17, 2003 -- exactly 100 years later. www.countdowntokittyhawk.org

NOTE TO EDITORS: High-resolution photos of the pilots and the Wright flyer reproduction will be accessible on www.countdowntokittyhawk.org on the afternoon of July 29, 2003.