HONOR FLIGHT AT AIRVENTURE 2011 WILL FLY WWII NAVY VETERANS TO D.C. MEMORIALS #OSH11

Southwest 737 to depart AirVenture grounds as part of ‘Navy Day’ festivities

      EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. — (May 26, 2011) — EAA, Southwest Airlines, and Old Glory Honor Flight, Inc., have joined together to give World War II Navy veterans the opportunity to visit the powerful memorials dedicated in their honor with an Old Glory Honor Flight departing from EAA AirVenture 2011 on Wednesday, July 27, as part of “Navy Day” festivities.

      The 59th annual edition of “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration,” scheduled for July 25-31 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, will be filled with special attractions, appearances, and forums all week in celebrating the Centennial of Naval Aviation.

      On the morning of Wednesday, July 27, a Southwest Airlines 737 aircraft will fly approximately 80 World War II veterans who served in the U.S. Navy from the AirVenture grounds to Washington, D.C. After a reception greeting them at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, the veterans will be taken on a day-long tour of memorials honoring the sacrifices they made preserving freedom. Those stops will include the World War II Memorial, Iwo Jima Memorial, and the National Naval Museum.

      “We at Old Glory Honor Flight are very excited to have the opportunity to honor the World War II veterans of Northeast Wisconsin at AirVenture 2011,” said Drew MacDonald, Old Glory Honor Flight president. “With the generous support of EAA and Southwest Airlines, we are planning a very special tour for our heroes that is a perfect fit with AirVenture’s celebration of the 100th anniversary of naval aviation.”

      The Old Glory Honor Flight veterans will return to AirVenture shortly after 6 p.m. on Wednesday, and receive a welcome home reception that many did not receive more than 60 years ago.

      “The Old Glory Honor Flight at AirVenture in 2010 was memorable experience for all involved, which we hope to match and surpass as we pay tribute to very deserving Navy veterans,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA and AirVenture chairman. “We are honored to partner with Southwest Airlines and the Honor Flight Network, giving these heroes the opportunity to see the memorials dedicated to their service and allowing them to receive the recognition they deserve.”

      The Old Glory Honor Flight, the Northeast Wisconsin hub of the Honor Flight Network, recognizes World War II veterans for sacrifices and achievements by providing a memorable, safe and rewarding tour of Washington, D.C., memorials at no cost.

      Additional information on the Old Glory Honor Flight is available at www.oldgloryhonorflight.org. 

      AirVenture 2011 will also feature tribute days dedicated to aviation legends Burt Rutan (Thursday, July 28) and Bob Hoover (Tuesday, July 26) as well as several attractions and events commemorating the 100th anniversary of air mail service.

      Advance purchase admission tickets at a discounted rate as well as camping for all dates are now available at www.airventure.org/tickets. 

      EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH is The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration and EAA’s yearly membership convention. Additional EAA AirVenture information, including advance ticket and camping purchase, is available online at www.airventure.org. EAA members receive lowest prices on admission rates. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA (1-800-564-6322) or visit www.eaa.org. Immediate news is available at www.twitter.com/EAAupdate.

Southwest Airlines to present 'Super Saturday' filled with must-see features at EAA AirVenture 2011 #OSH11

Win an AirVenture trip for two at www.southwest.com/oshkosh 

      EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. — (May 12, 2011) — The People of Southwest Airlines are celebrating 40 years of delivering warmth, friendliness, and individual pride as one of the nation’s largest air carriers and will share in the celebration as presenting sponsor of “Super Saturday” at AirVenture 2011 on Saturday, July 30.

      The 59th annual edition of “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” will be held July 25-31 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.

      From sunrise to well past sunset, “Super Saturday” presented by Southwest Airlines is filled with must-see features, attractions, and activities, including country star Aaron Tippin in concert followed by the widely popular Night Air Show and Daher-Socata Fireworks. The celebration concludes with a post-event party on ConocoPhillips Plaza, which will feature food, beverages, and a meet-and-greet with Night Air Show performers.

      “We’re coming back to Oshkosh again this year to share in the celebration of a milestone in Southwest history with our Employees and our Customers,” said Captain Chuck Magill, Southwest’s Vice President Flight Operations. “To have this opportunity to honor and proudly showcase our Veterans as we commemorate a hundred years of Naval Aviation is especially rewarding and exciting.” 

      As part of its 40th anniversary celebration, Southwest Airlines also is hosting a sweepstakes in which the winner receives round-trip air travel for two on Southwest Airlines to and from Milwaukee, two one-day wristbands to AirVenture, and a two-night hotel stay. Enter online at www.southwest.com/oshkosh. The winner will be notified on or around June 1, 2011.

      Additionally, a Southwest Airlines 737-700 – carrying a special AirVenture 2011 decal on its nose – will be featured on ConocoPhillips Plaza on July 30, offering free ground tours to all attendees.

      “Warmth, friendliness, and individual pride are not only synonymous with the People of Southwest Airlines, they also can be used to describe the spirit that exists all throughout AirVenture and the EAA community,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA and AirVenture chairman. “We are thrilled to have the support of Southwest as presenting sponsor of ‘Super Saturday,’ adding another exciting element to one of the many ‘must-see days’ at AirVenture.”

      “Super Saturday” kicks off at 6 a.m. with a mass hot air balloon launch in the Ultralight area and concludes with a feature film at the EAA Fly-In Theater, presented by Ford Motor Company and supported by Hamilton Watches, following the Daher-Socata Fireworks & Wall of Fire. The day also features the annual Runway 5K run/walk throughout the AirVenture grounds, beginning at 7 a.m. Additional features and details for “Super Saturday” will be available on www.airventure.org at a later date.

      Southwest Airlines also will be supplying the aircraft for an “Honor Flight” that will depart from AirVenture on Wednesday, July 27, for Washington, D.C., where approximately 80 World War II veterans will have the opportunity to visit the powerful memorials dedicated in their honor before returning to Oshkosh following the afternoon air show later that day for a “Welcome Home” ceremony. The “Honor Flight” will primarily feature Naval veterans from World War II in commemoration of the week-long Centennial of Naval Aviation festivities at AirVenture.

      Advance purchase admission tickets for all dates and camping at AirVenture 2011 are now available at a discounted rate at www.airventure.org/tickets.

      EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH is The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration and EAA’s yearly membership convention. Additional EAA AirVenture information, including advance ticket and camping purchase, is available online at www.airventure.org. EAA members receive lowest prices on admission rates. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA (1-800-564-6322) or visit www.eaa.org. Immediate news is available at www.twitter.com/EAAupdate.

      In its 40th year of service, Southwest Airlines continues to differentiate itself from other low-fare carriers – offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded and has recently acquired AirTran Airways, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines Co. Southwest serves 72 cities in 37 states and is one of the most honored airlines in the world known for its commitment to the triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet. To read more about how Southwest is doing its part to be a good citizen, visit www.southwest.com/cares to read the Southwest Airlines One Report(TM). Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,400 flights a day and has more than 35,000 Employees systemwide.