posted 04-16-2020 11:40 PM               

Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet

The annual Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet honors the spirit and achievements of the Wright Brothers. Drawing hundreds of attendees, this event is one you won't want to miss. Enjoy a full service dinner and cocktails while you listen to a riveting presentation given by special guests from the aviation community. Doors to the event open at 5 p.m. Dinner is served at 6:30 p.m.

This year, we're honored to host Capt. Jim Lovell as we look back on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission, and the heroic efforts by all involved that brought him and his crewmates safely home. Join us at the EAA Aviation Museum on December 11, 2020, to hear his firsthand account of that harrowing mission. Mark your calendars and watch for more announcements on our Facebook event page!

Captain James Lovell, EAA 320945, was born in 1928 in Cleveland, Ohio, but grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Spurred by his childhood interests in rocketry and model aviation, he attended the U.S. Naval Academy and, after graduation in 1952, reported to NAS Pensacola for flight training. After a tour flying McDonnell F2H Banshee fighters off of the USS Shangri-La (CV38), he went to test pilot school at NAS Patuxent River. In 1962 he applied for and was accepted into the second group of U.S. astronauts. The Mercury astronauts were known as the "Original Seven," while Lovell and his peers became the "New Nine."

Lovell's first space mission was as the pilot of Gemini 7, which was commanded by fellow EAA member Frank Borman, EAA Lifetime 300174. They spent a record-breaking two weeks together inside a spacecraft that was described as being the "size of a Volkswagen Bug." Lovell's next mission was as commander of Gemini 12, in which he and Buzz Aldrin worked on extravehicular activities (EVA) and docking.

In December 1968, Lovell flew as the command module pilot alongside Borman and Bill Anders on Apollo 8, orbiting the moon in the first manned launch of the massive Saturn V. Lovell planned to return to the moon in April 1970, as the commander of Apollo 13.

With his crewmates Fred Haise and Jack Swigert (a last-minute replacement for Ken Mattingly, who'd caught the measles), the mission was planned to include a landing in the Fra Mauro Highlands on the lunar surface. Three days into the mission, an explosion severely damaged the spacecraft, and changed history in the process. Working hand-in-hand with mission control, the crew and their earthbound counterparts heroically improvised a brilliant and safe return to Earth. Apollo 13 went down in history as NASA's most successful failure.

Captain Lovell is a proud EAA member and strong supporter of our programs.

posted 09-05-2020 11:42 AM               

Because of the limitations on large gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's event will be a virtual one, open to all EAA members at no charge. EAA members must log in to their EAA.org web account and visit here to access the event. Nonmembers may attend the event by first purchasing a one-year EAA membership for $40, and then creating a member web account at EAA.org.

The live stream will begin at 7 p.m. CDT. A recording of the event will also be available on demand for members to view at their convenience.