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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Molly Peebles, Charles Oppermann

Aired August 11, 2002 - 10:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Some private pilots, small airports and the businesses that depend on them were deeply affected by last year's terror attacks, obviously. For a while, the planes were grounded, then they were faced with new restrictions. This morning, pilots from across the country are going to start to demonstrate the spirit of American aviation, they say, and commemorate the 9/11 victims. For the next month they'll make flights, some short, some coast to coast, from every airport in the nation. That is the idea.
All this will lead up to the September 11 ceremonies in New York, where pilots say they'll deliver a state flag from every state in the union.

Molly Peebles and Charles Oppermann from Flight Across America join us from Seattle to tell us of the plans. Thanks very much for being with us this morning. Molly, what is the idea behind this?

MOLLY PEEBLES, FLIGHT ACROSS AMERICA: The idea behind Flight Across America, Anderson, is that it's an opportunity for us to honor the September 11 anniversary and to bring the nation together through flight.

COOPER: Now, exactly how is this going to work? And Charles, maybe you can answer this. It's not really a relay, in a sense. It's more of a -- sort of a webbing, a spreading out of flights. How is this going to work?

CHARLES OPPERMANN, FLIGHT ACROSS AMERICA: We're trying to produce a virtual web, linking all the airports in the country through flight. And we're -- for the past several months now, we've been operating a Web site, www.flightacrossamerica.com, and people register a flight that they can take on any day between August 11 and September 11. And through that, we hope to get as many airports throughout the country linked together and get as many pilots up into the air, flying and celebrating our freedom of flight.

COOPER: And then how is this going to end? You say it's going to culminate on September 11 in New York. What's going to happen?

OPPERMANN: We're going to have a flag presentation. We're going to -- there's a flag coming in from every state of the union. And we've selected flag bearers, people to represent those states. And they're going to bring a state flag that they've gotten in an official ceremony and they're going to deliver it, and we're going to present it to the people of New York on the USS Intrepid, the aircraft carrier that's docked in Manhattan. It's a gift to the people of New York. COOPER: And I understand, also, there are plans for a fly-by in New York? Is that right?

OPPERMANN: We're planning a fly-by on September 8, down the Hudson River, past ground zero, past the USS Intrepid, past the Statue of Liberty, just a procession of airplanes, one from every state.

COOPER: Now, I mean, as a New Yorker, I've got to say -- and I'm sure you've heard this before and it will be interesting to hear your thoughts on it -- you know, there are people who say, do New Yorkers really want to see, you know, large numbers of aircraft flying down the Hudson River past ground zero? I mean, it certainly brings up some images that I think a lot of New Yorkers will find very jarring.

PEEBLES: Well, really, what these pilots are doing is carrying these flags that are representing the heartfelt sentiments and prayers and well wishes of really every American in the country, and bringing those down the Hudson River and really doing a tribute, a salute to all of those that were impacted, both those that were directly impacted in New York, and in Washington D.C. and in Pennsylvania, and every American who was impacted in some way because of September 11.

OPPERMANN: And what we're trying to do at Flight Across America is to celebrate the history of aviation, the pioneering spirit, getting back to what's good about aviation. All the pioneers in travel, navigation, aerospace are from an aviation background. It really is something that should be celebrated and promoted and not something to be feared.

COOPER: All right. Molly Peebles, Charles Oppermann, thanks very much. Flight Across America, good luck on your journey.

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