Since the inaugural issue of Air & Space/Smithsonian magazine in April 1986, we have published more than 200 short personal accounts of flying experiences. Here you’ll find some of our favorites. Taken together, they show how varied a life the airplane has led since its birth 118 years ago, and how its cousins—the balloons, gliders, and yes, the rocket belt—have contributed to the richness of aviation history.
But even these gems from our archive can’t tell the complete story of flight. That’s why we asked you, the Air & Space readers, to share some of your best memories of flying. More than 400 of you responded, with tales ranging from the suspenseful to the humorous. Find them here.
The National Air and Space Museum is the largest and most visited of the Smithsonian Institution’s 19 museums and this new gallery is part of the museum’s ongoing transformation of all its galleries at the flagship building in Washington, D.C.
The Thomas W. Haas Foundation founded what will become the “Thomas W. Haas We All Fly” gallery with a $10 million gift. “We All Fly” will include examples of different forms of general aviation, from business aircraft to gliders, and it will be among the first of the new galleries in the museum’s West End to open in 2022.
At the entrance of this new gallery will be Sean D. Tucker’s Oracle Challenger III high-performance aerobatic flight aircraft, according to the museum. Also featured in the gallery will be a Cessna 180, Gates Lear Jet and a Cirrus SR22. The exhibition will feature new educational interactive technology and engaging videos that will explore the valuable impact of general aviation on society and encourage the public to join in.
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