GlobalFlyer -- what now?

I"m sorry for the complete lack of IT news on my part today, but for me this has been a golden day in aviation, and I just can't get my mind wrapped around IT stuff. Oh well, I have used the Web to gather this info.

As I reported earlier, SpaceShipOne will be at EAA Airventure in Oshkosh, WI. Now we have word straight from Sir Richard that the GlobalFlyer will also be there. I've seen a lot of neat things at Airventure including Voyager and Steve Fossett's solo balloon capsule. If you can get there, even for one day, this is a once in a lifetime chance to see them and celebrate these sucessful air and spacecrafts.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

March 3, 2005 - On Thursday morning during his press conference at Salina mission control headquarters, Virgin Atlantic CEO Sir Richard Branson was asked about what will happen to the GlobalFlyer.

“It may be a bit soon to be talking about it, but the Smithsonian have expressed an interest in having her (GlobalFlyer), and I think that’s ultimately where she’ll go. But...it will most definitely go to Oshkosh in July." Citing the 75-80 million hits on the GlobalFlyer website yesterday, Branson added, "There’s an enormous amount of global interest in seeing her. I don’t think we’ll tuck her away in a museum straight away.”