Moore County may play a key role in the 100th anniversary celebration of man’s first flight.

The National Business Aircraft Association is considering the Sandhills as the site for a major golf tournament and an aircraft show, a state aviation official told the Moore County Board of Commissioners Monday.

William H. Williams Jr., director of the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation, dangled this tantalizing concept before the commissioners and representatives of the Airport Authority and the Tourism Bureau at a work session Monday afternoon.

June 1-14, 2003, is the period designated for celebration of 100 years of powered flight.

Williams said the celebration will be centered on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where the Wright Brothers of Ohio flew their first aircraft. He said most airports and military installations across the state would also be staging events during the anniversary period.

The NBAA has expressed interest in hosting a golf tournament in this area during the celebration, he said.

Williams said a major announcement about NBAA plans would be made shortly. He explained that the Monday afternoon briefing was planned strictly as a means of alerting local officials of prospective plans.

“We want this to contribute to our economic well-being and and not take from it. We want the people to come to our state and have a good experience during this time,” Williams said.

During the 2003 celebration, an estimated 1 million to 1.5 million people are expected to visit North Carolina, he said.

In Dare County, where the first flight took place, daily tours will be scheduled to the Wright Brothers Memorial, and more than 900 pilots have been invited to visit the state. Williams said DOT is expecting a number of air shows and training seminars, among other aircraft-related events, to be staged during that period.

If Moore County is chosen for a show and tournament, Williams said, the state would be expected to erect a temporary control tower at the airport. He said the NBAA would be the sponsor, with the state acting as facilitator for local activities.

Michael Bamford, airport executive director, said the airport would be willing to work with the state in developing the plans. He said golf tournaments are always popular in this area.

Caleb Miles, executive director of the Tourism Bureau, called the proposal an interesting opportunity for the community.

Williams predicted that the tournament and aircraft show would be on a level with the U.S. Open, held last year at Pinehurst.

“I think you’ll have to turn people away,” he said.

Miles said advance planning is essential for an event on the scale described by Williams, because the community has to make sure there are enough rooms to accommodate the expected attendance.

Williams said he was expecting NBAA representatives to visit North Carolina in a few weeks.

Michael R. Holden, chairman of the county commissioners, asked Miles, Bamford and County Manager W. David McNeill Jr. to get their heads together and study the proposal.