Our purpose is to
achieve the following goals and objectives in developing, implementing
and maintaining programs which promote aviation history through educational projects and activities.
Our present project
is the building of a reproduction Douglas World Cruiser. The Douglas World
Cruiser was the first aircraft to fly around the world, in 1924. Flown
by United States Army Air Service pilots in specially-built Douglas
World Cruisers, DWC's, between 6 April and 28 September, 1924. The flight began with a "shake-down cruise" from Santa Monica, California on March 17th and the world flight
officially started from Seattle's then Municipal Airport at Sand Point, on the shores of Lake Washington.
The SEATTLE II will
feature authentic appearance, modern construction materials, and equipment
updates for safety, reliability and performance. When completed,
the aircraft will celebrate the 1924 first world flight by
following, as closely as possible, the original route around the world.
At the closure of this flight, the aircraft itself, will be a permanent
reminder of the great design of Donald Douglas, the vision, intelligence
and courage of those who promoted, planned and flew this historic flight.
Another part of
our Seattle World Cruiser project is public awareness for this
historic event and a recognition for Seattle's rich aviation heritage.
We are giving public presentations to aviation and community groups as an ongoing
process.
A concurrent project
is our Build-A-Rib Program, where we will be working with community organizations,
local youth groups, Civil Aviation Patrol Cadets, and other interested
groups, by helping them accomplish their aviation merit awards and promote
community awareness. The program will start with the world flight and
local aviation history. That will be followed with a lesson in aerodynamics,
using the airfoil to explain "lift". The conclusion of this introduction
will be building an actual, full size, seven and one-half foot wing rib.
Builders will sign the rib and it will be finished with varnish.
These ribs will be part of the wings of the SEATTLE II, our reproduction
of the World Cruiser, and will be flown around the world.
We will maintain
a website that will record these events, as well as the construction
progress of building the aircraft. We hope these programs will provide
a new and fresh community face on aviation, by bringing together aviation aficionados of all ages and provide learning opportunities for today's youth who are our
pilots, engineers, scientists, teachers, and historians of tomorrow. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University faculty member and Doctoral candidate, Diane W. Dempster, M.Ed., will
preside over these programs. As an educator and licensed pilot, she
will be available to mentor youth about aviation as an educational opportunity,
recreational sport, and career field.
The Seattle World Cruiser Association is a tax-deductible, publicly supported, nonprofit corporation, operating under the federal guidelines of 501.c(3) tax code for charitable organizations. Our business address is 550 Airport
Way, Renton, Washington, 98057.