Belfast celebrates 100 years of flight history

Bombardier Aerospace, Belfast, was today marking Northern Ireland's major contribution to aviation over the last century on the 100-year anniversary of the world's first powered flight.

Man's momentous first powered, controlled flight took place on 17th December 1903, at Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, when Orville Wright lifted the 'Flyer' off its launch rail and made his historic 12-second flight. Before the aircraft was wrecked by a gust of wind, a further three longer flights had been completed.

With a total flight time of 97 seconds, man's love affair with flight had taken off, beginning a century of aviation innovation, in which Short Brothers, now Bombardier Aerospace, and other Northern Ireland people and companies continue to play a major part.

Despite recent problems at Bombardier's Shorts base in recent months, the aerospace firm has been able to hold a number of events and initiatives to mark the centennial of flight. These included sponsoring an interactive show on the science of flying for pupils across Northern Ireland, a schools' competition in which a new UK record was set for the distance flown by a paper airplane, and a touring photographic exhibition, which explores some of the history of aviation in Northern Ireland.

Commenting on the historic day, Michael Ryan, vice-president and general manager of Bombardier Aerospace in Belfast, said: "We are very proud of our historic aviation roots our links with the Wright brothers and the significant contribution made by our own employees over the years.

"We have certainly come a long way from that first 12-second flight. But as we celebrate the past 100 years, we must also look ahead to the next 100 years of flight and focus on the part all of us in Northern Ireland can play."

Bombardier has also been supporting the GETSET (Girls Entering Tomorrow's Science, Engineering and Technology) programme run by Sentinus, aimed at encouraging schoolgirls to consider a career in engineering and science.

Today, around 300 schoolgirls are attending a special GETSET Celebration of Flight Conference at Queen's University, which includes guest speakers, interactive presentations and displays.

(MB)