Hondo, Texas
January 11, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Eugene F. “Gene” Kranz of Apollo 13 Fame To Be
Honored Guest at SWRFI

Participants and attendees in this year’s Southwest Regional Fly-In (SWRFI) will have a special treat. Aerospace icon and hero of the Apollo 13 mission, Gene Kranz, will be the honored guest of the massive aviation event and will be the featured speaker at the banquet.

Kranz helped save the day when an oxygen tank on the Apollo moon mission exploded and crippled the spacecraft shortly after launch form Cape Canaveral. Kranz’s resourcefulness and leadership as mission director was instrumental in the saving of the Apollo crew and infused NASA with a sense of pride and accomplishment which led to the development of the Space Shuttle.

The Apollo XIII mission was immortalized in a smash hit movie of the same name starring Tom Hanks.

Gene Kranz is a dedicated pioneer of American aerospace success and is looking forward to being with those at SWRFI who share the same enthusiasm.

For more information contact:
Don Loucks, Public Relations Officer
dloucks@donloucks.org