SEATTLE – The Museum of Flight turns 60 this month, and its Sept. 13-14 birthday weekend offers special tours, exhibits, family activities and lectures, plus the first showing of the Museum’s newly-acquired Learjet 24A, and a premiere screening of a documentary about the original Flying Tigers.
Presentation Recalls the Museum’s First 60 Years
At 11 a.m. on Sept. 13 the Museum’s first executive director, Howard Lovering looks back at the Museum’s long life. Lovering’s vivid presentation will show how the institution grew from a small storefront by the Space Needle to the world’s largest independent aviation and space museum. Lovering was at the Museum’s helm from 1977 through 1991, and is the author of the Museum’s definitive history, For Future Generations.
Sneak Peak at the Museum’s “New” Learjet
The weekend also marks the first display of the newest addition to the Museum’s aircraft collection—a classic Learjet 24A that was born about the same time as the Museum. Registered as N1965L, this Lear was the twelfth in a production line of iconic personal jets that helped define the Sixties jet set. It was donated to the Museum by aviation legend Clay Lacy—one of the first Learjet pilots—whose Hollywood connections and Los Angeles aircraft dealership introduced the Lear to Frank Sinatra and other cool celebrities of the time. On Sept. 13 the aircraft will enter the Museum’s main parking lot at about 1p.m. to be greeted by Clay Lacy and guests. The plane will remain on view there for the rest of the day. After the weekend events it will moved to the Museum’s Restoration Center for conservation until it is placed on permanent display indoors.
Premiere Screening and Film Talk
On Sept. 13 the Museum also presents the premiere screening of a new documentary about the original “Flying Tigers,” the American Volunteer Group in China during World War II. Their Memory Lives uses archival photographs and video interviews with descendants of the AVG pilots and support crews to provide an intimate look at the small cadre of 100 volunteer American pilots and a multinational support group that were assembled in China before the Japanese attack upon Pearl Harbor and helped stem Japanese invasions of southern China in early 1942. Following the one-hour screening there will be an open discussion with the filmmakers and several descendants of the Flying Tigers shown in the film.
Weekend Schedule:
10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Collections from the Vault Display
Memory Wall
60th Anniversary Scavenger Hunt – Win a Prize!
Special Photo Ops
10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.- Family Workshops
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.- Celebrating 60 Years of the Museum History Talk with the Museum’s former Executive Director, Howard Lovering. (Saturday Only)
12 to 1:00 p.m. – Public Tour: 60 Years of The Museum of Flight
1 to 5 p.m. – Learjet 24A on display (Saturday afternoon)
2 to 3:00 p.m. – Public Tour: 60 Years of The Museum of Flight
2 to 3:30 p.m. – Film screening with the filmmakers of Their Memory Lives (Saturday Only)
For Museum information, please call 206-764-5720 or visit www.museumofflight.org.
