Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions S180

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. DeWINE (for himself and Mr. VOINOVICH):

S. 180. A bill to establish the National Aviation Heritage Area, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, today I join my friend and colleague from Ohio, Senator George Voinovich, to introduce the National Aviation Heritage Area Act, an act to establish a National Aviation Heritage Area within our home State of Ohio.
For hundreds of years prior to the 20th Century, man dreamt of flying. Some of the earliest records of mankind reveal a fascination with birds and the ability to leave the ground. In fact, the Renaissance revolution in art showed us many of the first recorded designs for achieving this feat. By 1903, man succeeded, altering the course of modern history.

This year, we mark the 100th anniversary of manned flight. I am proud to say that the famed Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville, were native Ohioans. These two men are important symbols of an evolving age of discovery, an age beginning with the Wright Brothers' first controlled, heavier-than-air flight on December 17, 1903. A mere half-a-century or so later, mankind was flying not just above the ground, but above our planet Earth, which was quickly followed by Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon. It is amazing to just sit back and consider that all of these things, all of these incredible achievements have all occurred in a very short span of less than one hundred years.

There is so much to say about the historical and cultural significance of the birth of aviation, but I think one of its unique educational aspects is its ability to be interactive with students outside of the classroom. And, that is one of the main reasons we are introducing our National Aviation Heritage Area legislation today.

Our bill seeks to help foster strong public and private investments in many of Ohio's aviation landmarks, landmarks that have enormous educational value. Some of these landmarks include the Wright Brothers' "Wright Cycle Company," located in Dayton and the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center, where students of all ages can learn about the painstaking measures the Wright Brothers and many of their predecessors took to achieve what today seems to be so commonplace. Other landmarks include the Huffman Prairie Flying Field, where, after the Wright Brothers' famous flight in Kitty Hawk, NC, the Brothers returned home to perfect the design of the world's first airplane and the Paul Laurence Dunbar State Memorial, which showcases this great African American poet's strong international voice for racial equality and justice. The Heritage Area also includes the Neil Armstrong Museum, which highlights the great achievements of man's first walk on the moon. If I may add also, Neil Armstrong is a native Ohioan.

Flight has become a very important square in the patchwork of our nation's history, and I am proud that my home State of Ohio has played such a large role in its evolution. We are reminded of how manned flight has changed our history every time we look skyward and see the crisscross of jet contrails. We are reminded of this every time we walk through the Rotunda of our very own U.S. Capitol and see the last frieze square that depicts the Wright Brothers and their invention. And, we are reminded of this by one of the great symbols of America, the eagle, a flying bird that represents the freedom of a people.

It is vital that we protect the sites that have played such an important role in aviation. In doing so, we can enhance the education and enrichment of our children and our grandchildren for many years to come.