SEATTLE, Feb. 24, 2010 Wells Fargo Free First Thursday
Thursday, March 4, 5 - 9 p.m.
Once a month, the Museum stays open late-and admission is free! Enjoy the Museum's T.A. Wilson Great Gallery, J. Elroy McCaw Personal Courage Wing,
Space: Exploring the New Frontier exhibit, and
In Search of Amelia Earhart. Also enjoy the flight simulators and more from 5-9 p.m., courtesy of Wells Fargo. Museum Store and Wings Café will also remain open for the extended hours on this night.
Women Fly! Education Symposium
Friday, March 5, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Throughout the Museum
Women Fly! is The Museum of Flight's premier, annual two-day event. On Friday, March 5, more than 100 young women ages 13-17 will participate in a day of motivational and career-oriented activities that will allow them to meet and learn from professional women working in a variety of flight-related careers. Volunteering their time are over 30 women professionals: airport operators, pilots, air traffic controllers and engineers in all disciplines. The day's activities include tours of King County International Airport/Boeing Field, Museum education programs, simulated flights, aircraft tours, workshops, college/career fair, and networking with the panel. Highlighting the activities is an international panel of women sharing their exciting experiences in aviation.
Women Fly! Panel
Saturday, March 6, 2 p.m.
William M. Allen Theater
This year's panel includes distinguished women pilots from almost every continent. Their experiences include flights in the Australian outback, Alaskan wilderness, Antarctic slopes, African plains and the urban landscapes of Europe, Japan, South Africa and the United States.
The following panelists are scheduled to appear:
Michelle Bassanesi (Italy) - Bassanesi is the founder of Aviation and Women in Europe,
www.aweu.org Bassanesi is a flight instructor with experience flying paragliders, hang gliders and airplanes.
Kajuju Laiboni (Kenya) - Co-founder of Women Aviators in Africa,
http://wafric.org Refilwe Ledwaba (South Africa) - A co-founder of Women Aviators in Africa, in 2006 Ledwaba became the first black woman helicopter pilot for the South African Police Service Air Wing. For more information please see:
http://www.gsb.uct.ac.za/gsbwebb/default.asp?intpagenr=766 Harumi Sato (Japan) - Sato is a flight instructor and has flown as a commercial pilot in the United States and as an airline pilot in Japan.
Fran West (Australia) - West is the first woman pilot to circumnavigate mainland Australia in a light aircraft. She is also an author, photographer and motivational speaker. For more information please see:
http://www.franwest.com/ Jennie Steldt (United States) - Stetdt is a United States Air Force pilot who flew the first C-17 Globemaster airdrop on Antarctica.
Lt. Karina Miranda (Chile) - Miranda is a fighter pilot in the Chilean Air Force.
Bank of America Weekend Family Workshop: Women Fly!
Saturday and Sunday
March 6 and 7, 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Join us as we celebrate the achievements of women in aviation and aerospace. Design your own poster honoring their courage, dedication and service.
An Evening with Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III
Monday, March 8, 7 p.m.
William M. Allen Theater
Now a legendary pilot for the dramatic events and emergency landing on the Hudson River of US Airways Flight 1549 in January 2009, Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, III is a captain for US Airways, an author, and a lecturer. Sullenberger will speak at The Museum of Flight on March 8 in a special, 7 p.m. lecture. Sullenberger has over 40 years of flying experience in both commercial and military aviation. A former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, he served as an instructor and Air Line Pilots Association safety chairman, accident investigator and national technical committee member. He has participated in several USAF and National Transportation Board accident investigations. Sullenberger has a decades-long history of technical and academic contributions to the field of aviation safety. $10 admission/$5 for Museum members. Admission is first-come, first-served.
Bank of America Weekend Family Workshop: Gliderama!
Saturdays and Sundays
March 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28, 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
What kind of aircraft can soar high in the sky yet hardly make any noise?......a glider! Come on down to the Museum and get the scoop on these amazing aircraft and find out why this type of flying is called the 'Silent Sport,' and then make your own high-flying paper glider.
Vietnam Veterans Pilot Panel Discussion
Saturday, March 13, 2 p.m.
William M. Allen Theater
Veteran flyers from the Vietnam era, Claire Gilstad, Ray Rignel and Joe Crecca, will share their experiences in a panel discussion taking place in conjunction with the Seattle Opera's upcoming production of "Amelia," a new work that explores the American experience in Vietnam and our fascination with flight.
Soaring Expo
Saturday and Sunday, March 20 - 21, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Side Gallery
The member clubs of the Seattle Glider Council again present a glimpse into the fascinating world of silent flight at Soaring Expo 2010, held March 20-21 at The Museum of Flight. On special display this year is the "Perlan Glider" that test pilot Einar Enevoldson and the late adventurer Steve Fossett flew to set a the world altitude record for gliders in 2006. Exhibits include full-size gliders and radio controlled gliders on display. Lectures, movies and presentations are offered all weekend. Representatives of local soaring and RC glider clubs will be on hand to answer questions. Soaring Expo 2010 is open 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. each day, and free with admission to the Museum or Museum membership.
Soaring Expo
William M. AllenTheater
Saturday, March 20
11a.m.
"The Development and Flights of the LightHawk," with Danny Howell. Danny Howell will provide an update on the status and performance of the LightHawk sailplane. He will discuss the difficult design challenges and manufacturing advances required to produce a glider capable of exploiting microlift, a very weak atmospheric lift condition, hardly usable for conventional sailplanes. The category of Microlift Glider was adopted for inclusion in the FAI Gliding Sporting Code in October 2004.
2p.m.
"U.S. Women in Soaring," a lecture with Frauke Elber, one of the founders of the Women Soaring Pilots Association. Elber is a highly skilled sailplane pilot with experience from around the world. She will talk about women in the sport of soaring and contest flying, and how the WSPA has branched out internationally. Elber will also talk about how she grew from very shy, insecure young woman, to someone who can stand her ground in a men's world of soaring.
Sunday, March 21
11a.m.
"How to get out of your aircraft when .... happens," with Master Parachute Rigger, Alan Silver. In his distinctively funny and entertaining way, Silver will demonstrate how to get out of an aircraft when you really have to go. Silver offers an energetic, interactive presentation on all aspects of a bailout including mental attitude, preflight preparation, how to get out of your aircraft, deploying your parachute, and landing safely back on Earth.
2p.m.
"2061 Kilometers in the Sierra Wave" In this new film, sailplane pilot Gordon Boettger describes his epic flight soaring in the winds flowing over the Sierra Nevada mountains-accomplishing the longest distance-flight outside of the Andes range in South America. Gordon explains flight planning, the weather evaluation, the equipment preparation, and most important, the tactical in-flight decisions based on reading "wave clouds" at altitudes sometimes exceeding 24,000 feet.
American Fighter Aces Panel
Saturday, March 27, 2 p.m.
William M. Allen Theater
The Museum of Flight is the home of the American Fighter Aces Association, founded to recognize the 1,442 combat pilots that received a special distinction of becoming an ace by destroying five or more hostile aircraft The Association is honored to sponsor a panel of aces and combat pilots to share the stories of heroism from these remarkable men.
