Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet Goes Virtual

The Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet, held annually by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), will be moving to an online-only format due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The live-streamed event, which celebrates the Dec. 17 anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first successful powered flight, is scheduled to take place on Dec. 10, 2020, at 7 p.m. central time. The banquet’s special guest this year will be Apollo 13 commander James Lovell.

“As much as we would love having Capt. Lovell and EAA members all together at the EAA Aviation Museum as we’ve had for past Wright Brothers banquets, limits on large gatherings because of the COVID-19 pandemic have just made that impossible this year,” said EAA CEO Jack Pelton. “We are grateful, however, that Capt. Lovell has agreed to join us for an online streaming interview session where he’ll talk about his aviation and spaceflight experiences.”

The interview will be conducted by former NASA space shuttle commander and EAA board of directors member Charlie Precourt. EAA members may attend the virtual banquet for free via the organization’s website. A recording of the event will also be available online for members after the conclusion of the banquet.