A nation stands united
brought together by flight
in memory of September 11th
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A nation stands united |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Pilots To Carry State Flags To New York City REDMOND, Washington – June 3, 2002 – To honor the memory of those killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, one pilot from each of the fifty U.S. states will be chosen to fly an official state flag to New York City on September 11, 2002. The pilots will present the flags to the city of New York. It is part of an ambitious effort called Flight Across America, organized by Molly Peebles, a Washington State pilot. “The Flight Across America is about bringing the nation together through the celebration of flight,” said Peebles, executive director and architect of the Flight. “The act of fifty pilots carrying their State flags across the country into New York City is symbolic of a nation coming together to stand in solidarity and to make the statement that tragedy does not have the last word. We are a resilient people capable of creating great possibilities, and the Flight Across America is one example.” Pilots from all fifty states can apply to be a State Flag Bearer on the Flight Across America Web site: http://www.flightacrossamerica.com. The successful applicant will be one who is willing to be a spokesperson for the Flight Across America, elicit participation from pilots and airports in their state, and who is honored to represent their home state. Kirk Kleinholtz, a Washington State pilot, is the first pilot to be chosen as a State Flag Bearer. He was selected because of his lifetime love of flight and his leadership in the Washington Pilots Association, his enthusiasm for the vision of the Flight Across America event, his ability to share that vision with other Washington State pilots, and his sincere desire to honor the anniversary of 9/11 were also factors in his being chosen. “In my own flight across America” stated Kleinholtz, “I hope to honor the thousands of people killed or injured on 9/11, reclaim and promote the beautiful freedom of flight, and show by example why Americans coming together will always make this a wonderful country to call home.” Peebles’ hope for the final days of the Flight Across America is that the fifty State Flag Bearing pilots will meet at Essex County airport in New Jersey on September 10, 2002. On September 11, those fifty pilots, each in their own aircraft and each carrying their state flag, will fly as a parade down the Hudson River. They will fly by the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan. The aircraft will fly in the order of when the state they represent joined the Union, symbolic of a nation united. The fifty state flags will then be presented to the city of New York. The details of making this vision happen are being discussed with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office, Essex County airport and the Federal Aviation Administration. The Flight Across America is scheduled for August 11 through September 11, 2002. To register a flight, be a state flag bearer, or to learn more, people can visit the Web site at http://www.flightacrossamerica.com. Peebles hopes the event will rekindle aviation’s original spirit of courage, vision and the belief in possibility. The Flight Across America is a national celebration of flight and of the human spirit. FOR MORE INFORMATION: ######### |
Last Updated: 07/25/02. Copyright © 2002 Flight Across America |
