EAA’s Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet Honors Apple TV’s Masters of the Air

The annual EAA Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet on December 12 will pay homage to the 100th Bomb Group and the Apple TV miniseries Masters of the Air that depicted that unit’s dangerous missions during World War II.

Tickets for the event are currently available on the EAA website. Attendance is limited to 350.

This year’s banquet will feature two guest speakers. Rebecca Crosby Hutchinson, daughter of 100th Bomb Group navigator Harry Crosby, one of the main characters depicted in Masters of the Air, will share the story of her father’s experiences. Joining her will be Michael Faley, executive vice president of the 100th Bomb Group Foundation and technical advisor on the miniseries. Faley will share more insight into the group and how its story was brought to the big screen.

The 100th Bomb Group, known as the Bloody 100th due to its heavy losses, operated B-17 Flying Fortresses during World War II. The group flew its first combat mission on June 25, 1943, over Bremen, Germany. The group flew more than 300 missions in total, with several being portrayed in Masters of the Air. The miniseries was created by John Shiban and John Orloff and is based on the Donald L. Miller book of the same name. The series premiered on January 26, 2024, to positive reviews. The series also earned nominations for three Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, winning one.

EAA’s annual Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet honors the Wright brothers’ successful flights at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903, that began the era of manned flight. Tickets for the event are $85 for EAA members and $100 for nonmembers. Doors open on December 12 at 5 p.m., with the dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation immediately following dinner.