"Whirlybirds" featured in June 19 presentation at The Museum of Flight
 
Helicopter photoSEATTLE, May 27, 2010--In conjunction with the American Heroes Airshow and helicopter fly-in at the Museum on Saturday, June 19, aviation author and Seattle resident Jay Spenser will give an illustrated presentation on the history of the "whirlybirds." The program blends Spenser's insights and humor with superb imagery to trace rotary-wing flight's earlier days, including key pioneers, happenings, and technological emergences. Spenser will field audience questions and sign books following the presentation. The program is in the William M. Allen Theater at 2 p.m. and is free with Museum admission. 
 

Jay Spenser has been the curator at The Museum of Flight and the assistant curator at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. He is a noted aviation author. Among his many books is "Whirlybirds: A History of the U.S. Helicopter Pioneers," which is the definitive work in its field. Spenser is also the co-author, with Boeing engineer Joe Sutter, of "747: Creating the World's First Jumbo Jet and Other Adventures from a Life in Aviation," and the acclaimed "The Airplane: How Ideas Gave Us Wings."
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The non-profit Museum of Flight is one of the largest independent air and space museums in the world. The Museum's collection includes more than 150 historically significant air- and spacecraft, as well as the William E. Boeing Red Barn® - the original manufacturing facility of the Boeing Co. The J. Elroy McCaw Personal Courage Wing displays 28 World War I and World War II aircraft from the United States and other countries including Germany, Russia, and Japan. Over 30 aircraft representing the first century of aviation are displayed in the all-glass T.A. Wilson Great Gallery. The evolution of space flight and a look into the future are presented in the exhibit, Space: Exploring the New Frontier. The Airpark includes outdoor displays including the first jet Air Force One, a supersonic Concorde airliner and the prototype Boeing 747 jumbo jet. Interactive displays in The Flight Zone provide educational and entertaining activities for young children. The Museum's aeronautical library and archival holdings are the largest on the West Coast. More than 140,000 students are served annually by the Museum's on-site and outreach educational programs--the most extensive museum-based youth aviation and space education program in the country. The Museum is the only air and space museum in Washington State that is both nationally accredited with the American Association of Museums and a Smithsonian affiliate.
 
The Museum of Flight is located at 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle, Exit 158 off Interstate 5 on Boeing Field half-way between downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport. The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for active military, $8 for youth 5 to 17, and free for children under 5. Group rates are available. Admission on the first Thursday of the month is free from 5 to 9 p.m. courtesy of Wells Fargo. For general Museum information, please call 206-764-5720 or visit www.museumofflight.org.
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