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Wright Flyer Simulator at Embry-Riddle Demonstrates Thrill of Historic First Flight

Daytona Beach, Fla., April 1, 2004 -- A Wright Flyer simulator on loan to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University April 7-21 will give participants the chance to experience the excitement of the Wright brothers during their historic flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C., just over 100 years ago.

The simulator, which is a full-size replica of the Wright Flyer, will be supervised by Embry-Riddle students in the first-floor atrium of Embry-Riddle's Aviation Building. It will be available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week on a walk-in basis. Reservations for use of the simulator on the weekend should be made by calling 386-226-6849 during the week. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

To use the simulator, a person lies on the bottom wing, controlling the wings with hip action and the elevators with hand movements. While the aircraft stays stationary, a computer screen displays the shifting Kitty Hawk landscape that corresponds to the user's movements, creating the illusion of flight, and realistic engine noise is generated.

"Embry-Riddle is delighted to share this simulator with the community," says Dr. Tim Brady, dean of Embry-Riddle's College of Aviation. "Getting the chance to feel what it was like to pilot the Flyer is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will give all of us new appreciation for the skills and courage of aviation's pioneers."

Orville Wright, at the controls of the Flyer on Dec. 17, 1903, is credited with making the world's first flight in a powered, heavier-than-air machine. The aircraft covered 120 feet in 12 seconds. He and his brother, Wilbur, made three more flights that day. The longest, by Wilbur, was 852 feet in 59 seconds.

The touring exhibit of the Wright Flyer simulator is a project of the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) AirVenture Museum, a not-for-profit organization based in Oshkosh, Wis. As part of its educational mission, the EAA produced the exhibit to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' historic flight at Kitty Hawk.

The EAA was founded in 1953 by individuals interested in building their own airplanes. Through the decades, the organization has expanded its scope to include aerobatic aircraft, antiques, classics, contemporary manufactured aircraft, helicopters, ultralights, and warbirds.

Embry-Riddle, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, meets the needs of students and industry through its educational, training, research, and consulting activities. Embry-Riddle educates more than 28,000 students annually through the master level at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., through the Extended Campus at more than 130 teaching centers in the United States and Europe, and worldwide through distance learning.