[Scan-DC] FAA’S 50TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

[Alan Henney]

FAA News
Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC 20591
_____________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Thursday, August 7, 2008
Contact: Les Dorr, Jr. or Paul Turk

MEDIA ADVISORY – LOCAL MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAA’S 50TH BIRTHDAY
CELEBRATION

WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is having a
50th birthday party at our D.C. headquarters – and you’re invited!

On August 21, the FAA will offer D.C.-area reporters an exciting range
of opportunities to highlight the agency’s extraordinary achievements
since 1958 in making air travel today’s fastest and safest means of
mass transportation. Opportunities include:

·        The FAA’s “Flying Classroom.” N34, the FAA’s restored DC-3
flight inspection aircraft, makes a perfect setting for live shots
about the agency’s 50th anniversary. The plane will be at Reagan
National’s Hangar 6 on August 20-21. We can arrange parking for
broadcast trucks. More information on N34 can be found at:
www.faa.gov/about/history/photo_album/caa_to_faa/index.cfm?cid=Memorab
le.
·        So you want to be a pilot?  We’ll have a general aviation
simulator for talent to fly in the FAA’s Orville Wright Building, 800
Independence Avenue SW.  Plenty of potential for stories about what it
takes to be a pilot. Bring your own goggles and silk scarf!
·        Weather stand-ups from the FAA’s Command Center or other
sites:. Since 1994, the command center in Herndon, VA, has monitored
weather and other factors to manage this flow of air traffic within
the continental United States. More Command Center information is at:
www.fly.faa.gov/Products/Information/information.html
·        Our long-time compatriots are special people.   We’ve
identified several dozen FAA people with federal careers stretching
back more than 50 years. Many have interesting tales about what they’
ve done to help create and maintain the best, largest and safest airsp
ace system in the world, and are available for local interviews.
·        A Gathering of (Unmanned) Eagles.  Flights of unmanned
aircraft in the US are approved and monitored by the FAA and it’s
become a technology with more and more uses.  We’ll have a display of
several types at Headquarters, and FAA staffers to explain and point
out the features of each one. Another great stand-up opportunity.
·        Get up close with an airport firefighting and rescue truck.
Airports around the nation and the world use sophisticated,
specialized vehicles to fight aircraft fires and rescue passengers and
crews.  We’ll have one on display on the Independence Avenue side of
FAA Headquarters at 800 Independence Ave. SW on Aug. 21.

For electronic media, we also have available B-roll illustrating
highlights of the FAA’s history.

Pictures of N34 and the general aviation simulator attached to wheth
your talent's appitite!