Posted on 06/08/2003 9:21:51 PM PDT by BenLurkin
LLANO - Before Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first manned, powered flight nearly 100 years ago, they tested their aeronautical theories on gliders.
To celebrate the centennial of the brothers' revolutionary accomplishment, 44 glider pilots will embark on a transcontinental race next week, traveling 2,570 miles from Llano to Kitty Hawk, N.C.
The racers and their sailplanes will take off from Great Western Soaring School in Llano on June 19 for the first leg of the trip, to Jean, Nev.
The racers' arrival at Kitty Hawk 12 days later has been selected by the U.S. Park Service to be the headline event for the July 4th celebrations at the National Monument of Flight.
In the "Return to Kitty Hawk Race," the motorless sailplanes will glide over California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia and North Carolina.
A practice day June 18 will be open to the public at Great Western Soaring at Crystalaire Airport, 165th Street East, south of Pearblossom Highway.
The practice day is a chance for pilots from out of the area to acclimate to flying in the desert.
"The pilots who don't fly in Southern California need to get used to our conditions," said organizer Dave Romer.
The race launch is scheduled for approximately noon June 19.
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