A High-Flying Century

Countdown To The Centennial Of Flight Kicks Off In Washington

(CBS)  December 17 marks the 99th anniversary of the Wright Brother's first powered flight.

It also kicks off a yearlong celebration honoring the centennial of flight, "Born of Dreams – Inspired by Freedom," at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, is an advisory board member of the U.S. Centennial Flight Commission. He says the aircraft of today would have surprised the Wright brothers. "They thought airplane might be useful for military reconnaissance and perhaps for sport flying, but they didn't -they could not have possibly- imagined the applications carrying passengers across the oceans," he says.

Back then, Armstrong says, the main concerns were control, stability and navigation guidance. “The brothers Wright solved the balance and steering problem and consequently we have enjoyed a century of progress ever since,” he explains.

When he was flying combat missions in the Sourth Pacific duirng World War II, says former astronaut and U.S. Sen. John Glenn, no one foresaw space travel and the word astronaut was not in the vocabulary.

Today, the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum houses not only the original 1903 Wright Flyer but the space shuttle Enterprise, the SR-71 Blackbird, the original prototype of the 707 jetliner and the B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, which dropped the first atomic bomb. The center, being built in phases, will eventually encompass 760,000 square feet of space.

The goal behind the flight commission is to raise awareness of the technological contributions and achievements of aviation, says Patty Wagstaff. She is a six-time member of the U.S. Aerobatic Team that is involved in Olympic-level international competition.

“It's where we're able to bring aviation to the public. They can come up and touch the airplanes,” she says.

Actor John Travolta, who shares her love of flying, is master of ceremonies for the Centennial Of Flight kickoff.

“This season, I'm so excited I can't even put into words," he says. "This year means so much to everyone. There's a lot of individual events that will happen all year to celebrate flight."

Travolta says he became enamored of planes as a child. “I was brought up in New Jersey and I lived under the pattern of La Guardia. I watched these planes move over my head every five minutes. And I was in love. I was in love with airplanes from 4 years of age,” he says.

Today he has logged close to 5,000 hours since earning his wings in 1974. He is qualified to fly as a captain in the Gulfstream II, Lear Jet 24, Hawker 1A, Citation 1 and 2, Tebuan, and Vampire Jet, and as first officer in the Boeing 707. He says what he likes to fly best is the 707 and the ultralights, which he says are very much like the Wrights' first aircraft.

"I know they did that in ultralights," he says. "You feel more like a bird, you know? Then for it to advance into this space-age concept is mind-boggling, you know? But it should be an inspiration to all of us. I'm hoping that it kicks off something in schools and business and at NASA. New frontiers.”