Museum of Flight

When I saw the statue of a boy playing with a toy plane in front of the Museum of Flight I saw myself.  In fact most kids at one time or another had fun with a paper plane, a kite, or a model plane.  I knew then that this museum in Seattle would offer wonders inside that would rekindle my love for planes and flying.

I have always wondered what the Concorde looks like inside.  I have always wondered how American Presidents fly – what are the creature comforts in an Air Force One?  How do astronauts or cosmonauts go to the bathroom?  And the campus as the Museum of Flight calls their complex has a lot of historical gems such as the world’s very first air fighter plane from Italy, the Caproni Ca 20, built in 1914.

You would need a full day to really enjoy and view most of the exhibits.   That said, if you only have limited time, head straight to the T. A. Wilson Great Gallery, a six-story tall glass and steel structure with suspended and parked aircrafts.  It felt more spacious than the Smithsonian’s  National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C..   Don’t miss the Russian Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG 21 PFM  versus its American counterpart the McDonnell F-4C Phantom II.  You can also sit in at a model cockpit of the world’s fastest jet the LockheedSR-71 Blackbird and pretend to be a pilot.  

In another building is the Charles Simonyi Space Gallery where one can board the cargo deck of the Space Shuttle Trainer.  This Space Shuttle Trainer did not fly but was used as a simulation training facility.  The most asked question by visitors: how do astronauts do number 1 (liquids) or number 2 (solids)?   There is a video explaining (not demonstrating), and a model of the Shuttle Space commode.   To counter zero gravity and avoid stuff flying all over, the solution is air suction.  A hose for male urination.   For defecation, the Shuttle has a basic toilet seat using air flow to direct the wastes.  There are lap and foot restraints, and a drape one can swing around for privacy.   But the Russian Soyuz spacecraft was more utilitarian with a funnel catcher.  In the Space Shuttle, I wonder how they handle the lingering smell considering the sleeping hammocks are in the same confine.  Do they have air fresheners?  Highly unlikely, with cargo space and weight restrictions.

Just outside the Space Gallery is the outdoor Airpark where a genuine Concorde, Air Force One (the Boeing 707 used during the Nixon presidential terms), the very first Boeing 747 and the original 737.  Since it was used in the 1970s, the Air Force One décor reflected the era.  It was more like an office inside with desks, communication facilities, and a safe to carry the Nuclear Football (also called the Red Button, or the Black Box)  - a black briefcase, the contents of which is to be used by the U.S. President to authorize a nuclear attack while away from a fixed command center.  Unlike the Air Force One 747s flown today, there were no shower facilities or a bedroom.  

Boarding the Concorde I realized why this plane was doomed for passenger service.  Yes, it can fly faster and get you there sooner but with a major trade off: comfort.  Cramped space, windows that are as small as a bell pepper, and  a ceiling height that would make anyone over 6 foot stoop.  No I would rather fly three hours more in relative ease.  Why the hurry?

Within the modern museum campus stands a somewhat out-of-place red barn.  It is the historic William E. Boeing Red Barn built in 1909 which became a Boeing manufacturing plant in 1916.  In here are photographs on airline passenger service way back in the 1940s and 50s.  People then dressed up for flights in suits and ties or nice Sunday church attire.  No jeans, T-shirts and shorts.  Also there was a time when there were no tray tables.   Passengers had to put the trays on their laps while eating.  Cabins were not pressurized, so it can be cold and noisy.  No wonder they were all wearing heavy wool attire, women with hats.   

Did you know the very first Boeing engineer is from China?   Wong Tsu was a recent graduate of MIT in Boston.  He was responsible for the design of a new military training plane, soon to be labeled as the Model C.

Next to the museum’s cafeteria, is the J. Elroy McCaw Personal Courage Wing -  two floors of exhibits highlighting World War I and World War II including the first fighter plane built.  As you walk up the steps, pause at the middle landing, look over the railing where you will see below in an open compartment of a World War II airplane wing a portion of  nine yards of a machine gun bullet belt.  According to the museum’s Public Relations Manager, Ted Huetter, this was the origin of the colloquial phrase “the whole nine yards” meaning “everything”.  Remember those film footage of bullets propelling rapidly from a plane’s wing at the enemy?  

In a hurry to visit the Museum and leave at the end of the day without encountering road traffic?  Don’t worry!  You can literally fly in and park your aircraft at the Museum which is next to a landing strip.  Just contact the museum’s security department in advance to make arrangements.

For visit details, refer to www.museumofflight.org or call Tel: 206.764.5720 

 Adult tickets are US$19.00 but there are discounts for youth, students, seniors, and groups.   On the first Thursday evening of every month from 5-9 p.m., admission is free of charge.   Open daily 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.    

Closed U.S. Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.