Posts in the category "History":

Earlier this week, while waiting for Captain Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger’s presentation at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, I spent some time in the Amelia Earhart exhibit.  And while I don’t think I’ll take up flying my own plane anytime soon, I keep thinking about getting some new luggage.

Amelia Earhart endorsed a long list of products ranging from cars, cigarettes and clothing to what one press release described as nothing less than “the first truly practical and genuine airplane luggage.”

Earhart may have disappeared in 1937, but it appears a line of luggage bearing her name was produced well into the 1990’s.   And while I haven’t come upon anything from that line in the thrift stores near me, I did poke around the Museum of Flight gift shop to see if I could find something under $10 and “Amelia” for today’s Souvenir Sunday feature.

The only items that fit the bill were a few young adults books, including this one from the National Geographic Children’s Books series that includes photos, quotes from Earhart’s writings, theories about how she vanished, and maps of the route she followed on her last flight.

Categories: Air Travel, Aviation history, Baggage, Celebrities, Exhibits, History, Museums, Souvenirs, aviation
1 Comment »

Monday evening I was fortunate to be in the audience at Seattle’s Museum of Flight for a  presentation by the recently retired Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the now-legendary pilot of US Airways Flight 1549 who was able to successfully land a plane in New York City’s Hudson River.

He began the evening by showing the NTSB’s animated version of the US Airways 1549 flight path (below) and then went on to talk a bit about his family, his upbringing, his training as a pilot, the importance of preparation and teamwork, and his philosophy of work and life. After he was done, some of the kids in the audience got to ask a few questions as did some of the aviation geeks from our high-tech community.

(Here’s a link to a more detailed report on the evening by SeattlePI.com aerospace reporter Aubrey Cohen)

Before Captain Sullenberger’s speech, I spent some time in the Amelia Earhart exhibit, which will be at the museum until May, 2010. In addition to photo panels and film clips telling Ms. Earhart’s life story, there’s a section showing some of the products she endorsed to help pay the bills, including Amelia Earhart luggage and Lucky Strike cigarettes.

All in all, quite an inspiring evening.

Categories: Air Travel, Air traffic control, Aviation history, Celebrities, Exhibits, History, aviation
1 Comment »

From now through June 1, 2010, a collection of photographs and accessories from the classic Packard automobile will be on display in Terminal A at John Wayne Airport (JWA).   The items are on loan from Orange County’s Packard International Motor Car Club and include hood ornaments, Packard ephemera, and photos of Packards, including this 1932 Twin Six Packard Phaeton owned by actress Jean Harlow

And this month, in recognition of Women’s History Month, the American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum near DFW International Airport, is hosting a photo exhibit honoring the contributions of women who have worked for American Airlines and, on Saturdays, showing a series of movies featuring women in aviation.

Categories: Exhibits, History
No Comments »

This year, while Denver International Airport (DEN) turns 15, Denver Health is celebrating its 150^th year of service to the community.

To mark the occasion, the airport is hosting an exhibit about the history of the health care organization in the A Gates Mezzanine Gallery and in the C Gates Center Core.

Historical photographs dating back to the 1930’s are on display, along with artifacts, and memorabilia. And for those who can’t make it to the airport before the end of April, 2010, there’s this short video of the Denver Health Art Exhibit, which gives a nice overview of the items on display.

Photographs courtesy:  Denver Public Library, Western History Collection.

Categories: Airports, Art, Exhibits, History
No Comments »

The Chinese New Year will be celebrated this Sunday and Singapore’s Changi Airport is ready with giant displays to welcome in the Year of the Tiger:

Changi Airport also opened up an Aviation Gallery in Terminal 2, with loads of information stations, interactive kiosks, and 600 tiny airplanes hanging from the ceiling.

Here’s a “please-touch” fire-fighting suit worn by airport emergency officers:

And here’s a bench in the Changi Aviation Gallery that doubles as a scale to show how airports tally up the weight of baggage.

(Photos courtesy Changi Airport Group)

Categories: Air Travel, Airplanes, Airports, Entertainment, Events, Exhibits, Festivals, History
No Comments »