1956 Midair Collision 70th Anniversary Commemoration Services
June 30th Schedule, Grand Canyon South Rim
- 9:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. at Desert View Overlook Amphitheater
Moments of silence at precisely 11:27 – 11:36 a.m., to reflect on what happened exactly seventy years ago. - 12:45 p.m. – 1:50 p.m. Lunch at Yavapai Tavern. Hosted by GCHS.
- 2:00 p.m. – 2:55 p.m. Pioneer Cemetery, United Air Lines Memorial
- 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. The Shrine of the Ages Auditorium: “Meet the Experts” Symposium. Joint program with the National Park Service, The Patrons group, and the Grand Canyon Historical Society. Open to the public.
3:10 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.: Individual Speakers
John Hasha – Patrons member, nephew of United Air Lines Flight 718 Flight Engineer Girardo Fiore, and secretary of GCHS.
Mike Nelson – Patrons Group President and author of We Are Going In: The Story of the 1956 Grand Canyon Midair Collision
Ian Hough, NPS – Archaeological and site work for the National Historic Landmark nomination.
Mike McComb – FAA crash investigator and aviation archaeologist
6:00-6:30: Q&A and Panel Discussion
With Ian Hough, Mike McComb, Mike Nelson, and Tom Sulpizio (GCHS president, son of United flight 718 passenger Thomas J. Sulpizio, and Patrons group vice-president).
July 1st Schedule, Flagstaff
10:30am – 1:30pm Memorial Service at TWA Memorial Gravesite
Citizens Cemetery, 1300 S. San Francisco St, Flagstaff