Current Press Releases/News |
NEWS
Contact:
Zak Walsh
Andrew Shoushanian
248.626.0006
313.982.1400
zwalsh@tannerfriedman.com
andrews@versacom-inc.com
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
FORD SOARS AT EAA
AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH
Ford
experiences include REO Speedwagon concert on opening day, nightly
"Fly-In" Theater, expanded Cruisin' Legends car shows, Da BLOOZE
Bros performance, naval-themed zipline, one-of-a-kind 2012 “Blue
Angels” Mustang and other exciting attractions
DEARBORN, Mich., June 30,
2011 – Ford Motor Company takes EAA AirVenture Oshkosh to new
heights in 2011, marking its 12th consecutive year as the
exclusive automotive partner for the world’s greatest aviation
celebration. The popular Ford Hangar will feature some of the latest
advances in automobile technology, as well as many of the industry’s
most revered classics, all on the grounds of Wittman Regional
Airport in Oshkosh, Wis.
Ford's commitment to bringing
first-rate entertainment and attractions to the annual convention of
the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) includes expanded car
shows, new activities and an evening dedicated to the blues. EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh takes place July 25 to July 31, a week in which
Wittman becomes the busiest airport in the world.
Ford
will donate a one-of-a-kind, naval aviation-inspired 2012 “Blue
Angels” Mustang for auction to support the EAA Young Eagles. This
organization has provided free introductory flights to more than 1.6
million young people since 1992, while also teaching the value of
hard work, personal responsibility and enhanced math and science
skills.
EAA
AirVenture 2011 will feature 10,000 aircraft, including 2,500 show
planes, and is expected to attract more than 500,000 aviation
enthusiasts from more than 70 countries. The 59th edition
of AirVenture also will host the largest collection of naval
aircraft spanning all eras ever assembled in one location for the
weeklong Centennial of Naval Aviation commemoration.
All Ford events and attractions are free and
open to all EAA AirVenture attendees. Additionally, Ford offers a
special Partner Recognition vehicle purchase plan to EAA members.
“EAA AirVenture is an annual opportunity for
Ford Motor Company to celebrate our aviation heritage and the
innovation it has inspired in our vehicles with people passionate
about cutting-edge technology and engineering,” said Edsel B. Ford
II, a member of Ford’s Board of Directors. “This year, AirVenture
will be even more exciting as we also celebrate the centennial
anniversary of naval aviation and 110th anniversary of
Ford Racing with exciting new activities and themes at the Ford
Hangar.”
REO
Speedwagon Gives AirVenture a Rockin’ Start
Ford will present legendary American rock band
REO Speedwagon as the EAA AirVenture opening day feature
performance, free of charge to all AirVenture guests. Concert
activities will begin at 5:30 p.m., Monday, July 25 adjacent to the
Ford Hangar. REO Speedwagon is known the world over, attracting audiences across generations for more
than 40 years. The group has sold more than 40 million records and
charted 13 Top 40 hits, including No. 1 hits “Can’t Fight This
Feeling” and “Keep on Loving You.”
Ford
Presents the “Fly-In Theater”
Ford Motor Company returns this year as
presenting sponsor of the EAA AirVenture "Fly-In Theater." This
open-air Fly-In Theater will offer free evening entertainment for
attendees. Located adjacent to EAA’s Camp Scholler camping area,
each evening at approximately 8:30 p.m., thousands of patrons will
watch free aviation-themed movies on the theater’s five-story screen
while sitting under the night sky. Each feature will be introduced
by a celebrity presenter or legendary aviator and the 2011 lineup
includes Harrison Ford and George Lucas as presenters.
Expanded
Cruisin' Legends Collector Car Show
EAA AirVenture guests can see spectacular
performance machines such as the John Force Racing team cars, the
ROUSH performance lineup and view some of the world’s most timeless,
pristinely restored Ford Motor Company vehicles at the Cruisin'
Legends car show on Knapp Street near Warbird Alley. Due to the
popularity of Cruisin’ Legends in 2010, Ford has expanded the
concept this year to accommodate more vehicles. The featured themes:
Monday, July 25 and Tuesday, July 26 - Hot Rod Heaven; Wednesday,
July 27 – Fabulous Thunderbirds and Model T's; Thursday, July 29,
Friday July 30 and Saturday, July 31 – Mustang Stampede. The popular
Ford mechanical bucking bronco also will be hosted in the Cruisin’
Legends exhibit.
The John Force Racing Traveling
Road Show, including five of his race vehicles is a new addition for
2011. John Force’s own
8,000 horsepower Castrol GTX Ford Mustang will be displayed in the
Ford Hangar. Admission is free for AirVenture guests.
EAA”s “Super
Saturday” Transforms Ford Hangar to “Ford Hangar of Blues”
As an added bonus to EAA’s “Super Saturday” on
July 30, Ford will present Da BLOOZE Bros. The “ultimate tribute
band” to The Blues Brothers will take center stage for an energetic
blues set from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Ford Hangar as it is
transformed into the “Ford Hangar of Blues.” Da
BLOOZE Bros is led by real brothers Geoff and Chris Dahl. Their
seven-piece band is one of only three groups worldwide officially
sanctioned by Dan Aykroyd and the John Belushi estate for live
performance of the legendary The Blues Brothers material.
Model T
Time
Henry Ford’s Model T revolutionized the
consumer automobile industry when it hit the market in 1908. More
than 100 years later, thousands of EAA AirVenture attendees will
join Ford in celebrating the innovation by partaking in a parade of
fully-functional Model Ts, browsing an incredible collection of the
vehicles and taking rides in any of several Model Ts on site with
members of the Model T Ford Club of America. Experience a ride in a
Model T on Thursday, July 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the EAA
Museum entrance.
Freebies, Autographs,
Zip Line, Rock Wall and Other Attractions
The Ford Hangar, located at ConocoPhillips
Plaza, is one of the most popular attractions at AirVenture each
year and is overseen by animated and personable Hangar Master
Narrator “Hank” the Robot.
The Ford Hangar also will feature
the Lincoln Legends and Heroes "Autograph HQ” with celebrities,
aviation enthusiasts, legendary performers and other special guests
on site at various times throughout the course of the event,
interacting with fans and signing autographs. Personalities
scheduled to sign autographs for fans at the Ford Hangar include
Jack Roush, John Force, astronauts and pilots.
For
AirVenture 2011, Ford also will help celebrate the Centennial of
Naval Aviation, with visitors able to launch down the “USS Henry
Ford Cat Shot,” a thrilling 200-foot zip line; leap on the “Bungee
Burner” power jump trampoline system; or challenge “The Rock Ladder”
climbing experience.
Ford Hangar guests will have the
opportunity test their racing skills with the Ford Fiesta Rally
Simulator, experience the Laguna Seca race track, and test their
mettle in an F-150 game area Campers should watch for the Ford
Transit Connect distributing free ice cream each evening in the
campgrounds.
To
stay connected to all Ford EAA AirVenture news, connect with the
Ford EAA AirVenture team on Twitter at
http://www.twitter.com/FordAirventure or visit
http://www.FordAirventure.com.
For more information on EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 2011, visit
http://www.AirVenture.org.
Ford and Flight: A
History of Firsts
Ford Motor Company’s historical
connection to air transportation will be evident throughout the
automobile manufacturer’s presence at EAA AirVenture. Ford’s
association with flight dates back all the way to the company’s
beginnings in 1903, the same year as the Wright brothers’ historic
flight. Ford’s history in aviation includes a period in which the
company was the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer.
After World War I, having already
put the nation on wheels, Henry Ford decided to take the United
States into the air, and in 1925 built the first Ford Tri-Motor
airplane. The Tri-Motor was the first to be used by the
country’s commercial airlines. Nicknamed the “Tin Goose,” it also
was the United States’ first all-metal, multi-engine transport. The
first Ford Airlines flight took off in 1925 and in 1926 made the
first domestic airmail flight for the U.S. Government.
Henry Ford’s efforts paved the way
for modern commercial air travel, including the construction of the
world’s first modern airport and first concrete runway. Henry Ford
also brought the famed assembly line production system to aviation
in World War II, as Ford produced one B-24 Liberator bomber per hour
at the height of need by Allied forces. In 1984, Henry Ford was
enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame, and in 2002, was
recognized as one of only 12 aviation pioneers by the U.S.
Centennial of Flight Commission.
About
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive
industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or
distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 164,000
employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive
brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial
services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information
regarding Ford’s products, please visit
www.ford.com.
###
Click here for a PDF of this release
|
