Wyle Celebrates 100th Anniversary of Naval Aviation With Sponsorship of Historic Replica Aircraft

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., May 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Wyle, a leading high-tech aerospace engineering firm which has played a role in the development of every U.S. Navy aircraft built since 1950, is celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Naval Aviation during 2011 by sponsoring the only flying replica of Eugene B. Ely's 1911 Curtiss Pusher and other commemorative events.

The Curtiss Pusher, built and flown by former naval aviator Bob Coolbaugh and his crew of aviation volunteers, is making its way across the country this year at various events. This provides audiences with the opportunity to see the flying replica of the biplane that established naval aviation on Jan. 18, 1911 with the successful landing on the deck of the armored cruiser USS Pennsylvania.

The aircraft, which was on display at the recent Navy League's annual Sea Air Space Exposition at National Harbor in Maryland, is scheduled to appear at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, N.Y. May 22 to 27 during New York City Fleet Week.

It is also scheduled to appear at events throughout the summer and fall including Philadelphia Fleet Week and air shows at Naval Air Stations Patuxent River, Md. and Oceana, Va.  A complete schedule of appearances is available at www.wyle.com and http://elycurtisspusher.com/ .

"It is a distinct pleasure for Wyle to sponsor Bob Coolbaugh and his Curtiss crew in this unique endeavor," said Pete Green, president of Wyle's Aerospace Group. "The aircraft and his efforts represent a great part of the Wyle heritage.

"As a former naval aviator and Wyle's chief pilot for 20 years, I can tell you that Ely established a legacy and issued a resounding challenge to naval aviators, flight officers, aircrew, engineers, scientists, technologists and administrators who would follow him in writing the amazing story of naval aviation. Wyle's professionals are proud to play a part in answering that challenge."

Wyle supports the F/A-18 Hornet, the E-2 Hawkeye, H-60 Seahawk, P-3 Orion, and new platforms like the P-8 Poseidon, and the Joint Strike Fighter, as well as several unmanned aerial vehicle platforms. The company's independent flight test organization also provides critical support to multiple government flight-test programs.

The company kicked off its efforts in February as a major sponsor of NAS North Island's Parade of Flight and North Island Open House. The event was one of the first in the country held to celebrate the Centennial where Wyle distributed free copies of its specially designed commemorative poster honoring 100 years of naval aviation.  The poster, designed by Wyle's award winning graphic artist Paul Woodbury, is available at Wyle sponsored events, at select company offices throughout the nation and online at www.wyle.com through the end of 2011.

Wyle, a privately held company, is a leading provider of high-tech aerospace engineering and information technology services to the federal government through long-term contracts. The company also provides systems engineering services and program management support to the aerospace, defense, nuclear power, communications and transportation industries;  test and evaluation of aircraft, weapon systems, networks, and other government assets; and life sciences services for NASA's astronaut corps as well as mission critical support and space simulation.

Contact:
Dan Reeder
(310) 563-6834
Ref.:  NR/11-21

SOURCE Wyle