July 5, 2005
Former Astronaut Joe Engle to present trophies at the National Aviation Heritage Invitational
Chantilly, VA. - Major General Joe H. Engle (Ret.) will serve as Master of Ceremonies and present the
Rolls-Royce Aviation Heritage Trophy at the Eastern Region National Aviation Heritage Invitational July 16-17, 2005. The Invitational takes place in conjunction with the Dayton Air Show in Dayton, Ohio. The awards ceremony is held Sunday, July 17 at 11 a.m.
General Engle, who was enshrined in the Aviation Hall of Fame in 2001, earned his pilot wings in 1958. He was selected for the Air Force Experimental Test Pilot School, and then served as part of the Fighter Test Branch at Edwards Air Force Base in 1960. Engle was one of two test pilots to fly the X-15 Research Rocket aircraft. On June 29, 1965 he flew the X-15 to an altitude of 280,600 feet, becoming the youngest pilot ever to qualify as an astronaut. In 1966 General Engle was one of nineteen pilots selected for NASA space missions and served as back-up Lunar-Module pilot for the Apollo 14 mission.
As Commander of Space Shuttle Columbia in November 1981 General Engle was the first and only pilot to fly an aerospace vehicle manually from Mach 25 to landing, performing 25 flight test data maneuvers throughout the entire entry Mach envelope. He has flown more than 185 types of aircraft and logged more than 14,700 flights hours - 9,900 in jets and 224 in space.
The National Aviation Heritage Invitational celebrates aviation heritage and honors those who restore vintage aircraft to pristine condition. Aircraft owners and restorers compete in three categories: Antique, for civilian designed aircraft manufactured in 1935 or earlier; Classic, for civilian aircraft manufactured after 1935 and before 1960; and Warbird, for military aircraft at least 45 years old in original, or restored to original condition.
Examples of the more than 15 vintage aircraft scheduled to be on display will include: the 2004 Rolls-Royce Aviation Heritage Trophy winner, an authentic World War II Boeing Stearman E75; 2004 Classic Winner, 1940 Howard DGA 15P, and more in the military and classic category.
The overall winner of each Invitational is presented with the Rolls-Royce Aviation Heritage Trophy. The trophy is displayed at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia. Entry applications, details on eligibility and judging criteria are available at www.heritagetrophy.org.
For further information contact:
Director, Lorraine Rodman 703-621-2774
or
Invitational Coordinator, Alan Mangels 703-621-2734
Corporate note to editors:
- The National Aviation Heritage Invitational was established in 1998 by Rolls-Royce.
- The vision and mission of the National Aviation Heritage Invitational is to encourage the preservation of aviation history through the restoration of vintage aircraft to original flying condition. The National Aviation Heritage Invitational promotes aircraft restoration via friendly competition, bringing valuable aviation treasures together in one venue.
- The event is a joint effort under the auspices of Rolls-Royce North America Inc., the National Aviation Hall of Fame and the Reno Air Racing Foundation.
- A five-member panel will serve as judges, including representatives of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. Each aircraft is judged on its technical merit and how well it represents the aircraft earlier in its career. Authenticity to the original manufacturer's condition is the "gold standard" for each plane. Additionally, those in attendance will have an opportunity to vote for the People's Choice Award winner.
- The Western Regional competition will be held in conjunction with the Reno Air Races in Reno, Nevada September 16-18.
- Rolls-Royce operates in four global markets - civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy. It is investing in technology and capability that can be exploited in each of these sectors to create a competitive range of products.
- Annual sales total more than $11 billion, of which 55 per cent are services revenues. The order book is nearly $40 billion, which, together with demand for services, provides visibility as to future activity levels.
For further information please contact:
Ginny Person
Corporate Communications
Rolls-Royce North America Inc.
Tel 703-621-2764
Fax 703-709-6087
Email: ginny.person@rolls-royce.com
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