History

Complimentary ashtrays from Air France

March 16, 2009Harriet BaskasFree Stuff, History, SouvenirsAir France, ashtrays, Boeing tour, Future of Flight

Each year, more than 100,000 aviation fans make their way north from Seattle to Mukilteo to visit the Future of Flight Aviation Center and take a tour of the Boeing commercial jet assembly plant.

The tour is mighty impressive, and so is the Aviation Gallery, which features the nose section of a Boeing 727, airplane engines and other airplane parts, and lots of interactive exhibits.

airfrance-place-setting

Until April 20^th, the Aviation Gallery is also home to an impressive exhibition of memorabilia from Air France, one of Boeing’s longtime customers. On display are luxurious table settings, multi-course in-flight menus and examples of gift items from the airline’s early years, such as these complimentary ashtrays and this cool lunchbox set.

Lincoln Memorial at O’Hare Airport

March 14, 2009Harriet BaskasArt, HistoryAbraham Lincoln, Chicago O'Hare International Airport

It’s the bicentennial year of Abraham Lincoln’s birth and there are special exhibits and events all over the country. Now Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is joining in, with an exhibit of a half-size replica of the Lincoln Memorial.

The replica is 101/2 feet tall and 9 wide feet wide. Look for it in Terminal 2.

Not sure how long the exhibit will be on display, but I’m pretty sure the Lincoln impersonator was just stopping by.

Photo credit: Chicago Department of Aviation

What’s near: Stewart International Airport?

March 12, 2009Harriet BaskasHistoryStewart International Airport

This seems handy:

Stewart International Airport (SWF) in New York’s Hudson Valley is close to a good many historic and cultural sites you can now find out about from an interactive map on the Web site of the Port Authority of NY & NJ, which now runs this airport.

The airport portion of the map is pretty straightforward (it’s a small airport), but you can also click on the environs page and get links to sites for sports, wineries, shopping malls, theaters, historic mansions, museums, performing arts centers, and other attractions in the region – stretching from New York State, east to the Connecticut border and west to the Pennsylvania and New Jersey borders.

For example, from looking at the map, I learned that Stewart International Airport, in New Windsor, is only about seven miles from Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site, the country’s first publicly owned historic site.

Happy Birthday Barbie!

March 9, 2009Harriet BaskasHistoryBarbie

Yesterday, March 8^th, was International Women’s Day and today, March 9^th, is Barbie’s 50^th birthday: the now, iconic hourglass-shaped doll was first introduced at the American Toy Fair in New York City on this day in 1959.

International Women’s Day celebrates the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. Some say Barbie does all that too, in high heels and the latest fashion. Among her many accomplishments and careers: Barbie has a pilot’s license and the pilot’s outfit. She has also been a flight attendant and, in 1965, and astronaut.

When you’re stuck at the airport think: What would Dr. Seuss do?

March 2, 2009Harriet BaskasCelebrities, HistoryDr. Seuss

Photo courtesy the Springfield Museum

Today, March 2^nd, is the birthday of Theodor Geisel, the author and illustrator better known to all of us as Dr. Seuss.

In addition to classics such as “The Cat in the Hat” and “Green Eggs and Ham,” he wrote the life/travel advice poem titled “Oh! The Places you’ll go!,” which makes it clear that Seuss knew how easy it is to get stuck at the airport.

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’ t
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

Here’s a link to the entire poem.

A Valentine from NASA and a birthday gift for Galileo

February 11, 2009Harriet BaskasHistory, Holidays

In 1609, 400 years ago, Galileo first turned his telescope towards the sky.

Now, to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy, Valentine’s Day, and Galileo’s birthday (Feb. 15) NASA is all giving sky lovers a gift. The agency is releasing giant images from its Great Observatories– the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and Chandra X-ray Observatory–to more than 100 planetariums, museums, nature centers, and schools across the country. You can see a preview of the images here.

The selected sites will each unveil a large, 9-square-foot print of the spiral galaxy Messier 101 that combines the optical view of Hubble, the infrared view of Spitzer, and the X-ray view of Chandra into one multiwavelength picture. Here’s a link to descriptions of the other images.

The unveilings will take place Feb. 14-28 at 76 museums and 40 schools and universities nationwide, reaching both big cities and small towns.

Travel and learn during Black History Month

February 8, 2009Harriet BaskasHistoryBlack History Month, Capt. Dave Harris, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Joan Dorsey, Martin Luther King

As you travel around the country during February, keep an eye out for celebrations and exhibitions in honor of Black History Month.

In Atlanta, for example, you don’t even need to leave the Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport to see an impressive exhibit about Martin Luther King, Jr. that includes the permit from King’s march on Washington, the suit he wore to meet with President Lyndon Johnson, and the transistor radio he took to rallies and marches to monitor the news.

The exhibit is on Concourse E and online as well.

For other Black History exhibits and activities around the country, see the piece I put together for MSNBC.com.

After reading that article, the folks at American Airlines got in touch with me to point out some aviation trailblazers they’re especially proud of:

Captain Dave Harris, who in 1964 became the first African American to pilot a commercial jet, and Joan Dorsey who that same year became the first black woman to be a flight attendant for American Airlines.

Anniversary of Beatles touch-down at JFK

February 7, 2009Harriet BaskasEvents, History, MusicJFK Airport, The Beatles

On this day, February 7, back in 1964 the world changed dramatically:

The Beatles, those adorable moptops, came to New York.

(Photo: The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey)

The History.com newsletter describes the momentous day this way:

On February 7, 1964, Pan Am Yankee Clipper flight 101 from London Heathrow lands at New York’s Kennedy Airport–and “Beatlemania” arrives. It was the first visit to the United States by the Beatles, a British rock-and-roll quartet that had just scored its first No. 1 U.S. hit six days before with “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” At Kennedy, the “Fab Four”–dressed in mod suits and sporting their trademark pudding bowl haircuts–were greeted by 3,000 screaming fans who caused a near riot when the boys stepped off their plane and onto American soil.

Two days later, John, Paul, George and Ringo appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and, well, you probably know the rest.

How are you celebrating the day? In my house, we’re having a Beatles festival!

Free stuff: Win one of 40 free trips in Virginia.

January 27, 2009Harriet BaskasFree Stuff, HistoryCharles Lindgergh, National Air and Space Museum, The Spirit of St. Louis, Virginia is for Lovers, Washington Dulles International Airport

To mark the 40th anniversary of the state’s “Virginia is for Lovers” marketing campaign, Virginia tourism officials are giving away 40 trips in 40 weeks.

Each has a different theme. And as far as I can tell even the grand prize options don’t include airfare. But if you live out that way or win a prize and can get over there, it seems like a lot of fun and definitely worth sending in an entry.

For Stuck at the Airport fans, note that the first week’s prize, which will be given away on February 20^th, 2009, has an aviation theme. Activities center around Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va.

The prize package includes two night’s lodging at a Hyatt Place hotel, a ride in a Biplane, and a private tour of the National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, just down the road from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).

(The Spirit of St. Louis, the plane Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic in 1927, is one of the aviation treasures on display at the museum. Courtesy: Smithsonian Institution.)

I’m holding out for Trip #27: it includes a chance to be a judge at the Chincoteague’s annual Oyster Festival – and hopefully lots of oysters.

Enter the Virginia is for Lovers sweepstakes here.

Free Valentines at Denver International Airport

January 22, 2009Harriet BaskasArt, Exhibits, Free Stuff, HistoryDenver International Airport, Free Valentine's cards, Loveland, Valentine's Day

It’s never too early to plan for Valentine’s Day. And to get you in the mood, the folks at Denver International Airport have unveiled a new exhibit.

Included are Victorian-era Valentine’s cards, historical photographs, memorabilia and artwork by artists from Loveland, the Colorado town with the famous post office that puts a special cachet stamp on more than 200,000 valentines each year.

The exhibit, “SWEETHEART TOWN — Loveland, Colorado” is located pre-security, on the walkway between Jeppesen Terminal and the A Gates.

Here’s the part about the free Valentines: the airport’s art program is handing out special exhibition-related Valentine’s cards and will pay the postage for any of these cards that are filled out at the airport. They’ll even take the cards to Loveland to get the 2009 Loveland postmark and Valentine cachet.

Sweet!