Festival Of Flight Struggles With Debt

This centennial year had its share of hits and misses, in efforts to draw public attention — and funding — to the world of aviation. One event that had mixed results was the Festival of Flight, held last May in Fayetteville, N.C. The event’s organizers met on Monday to try to agree on a plan to retire their debt of $262,000, most of it owed to 29 vendors. Low attendance hurt the financial returns. The group is hopeful that some creditors will forgive their debts, and that a fundraising effort after the New Year will bring in enough cash to settle the rest. Among those still waiting to be paid, according to the Fayetteville Observer: two local actors who impersonated the Wright Brothers at the festival, for $2,620; and Dana Smith, of Maine, who provided Wright aircraft replicas, for $11,000.