December Events at The Museum of Flight

Media contact:
Eden Hopkins
Marketing Communications Coordinator
206-768-7105
ehopkins@museumofflight.org

Boats That Fly:Seattle Comes of Age Exhibit
Through January 15, 2006, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Before grunge . . . before lattés . . . Seattle was a hydro city. Boats That Fly recaptures the drama, the passion and the hometown pride of a city coming together and coming of age. View the stories, sights and sounds of Golden-Age hydro racing in Seattle through rare artifacts, models, video presentations and oral histories. Three historic boats — the 1946 Tempo VI, the 1951 Slo-mo-shun V and the 1962 Miss Bardahl highlight the exhibit that will take longtime Seattleites back to this exciting time in the city’s cultural life and that will introduce newcomers to the fascinating history of the sport and the passion of hydro racing. The exhibit is co-sponsored by The Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum of Kent, Wash., and was produced with additional support from Seattle’s Museum of History & Industry. Exhibit is free with Museum admission.

Suitcase Sightings Multimedia Art Exhibit
Through February 4, 2006, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Forget about long airport lines and traffic; travel is whimsical again at The Museum of Flight! Suitcase Sightings, organized by acclaimed Northwest artist Lynn DiNino, tells the story of suitcases as symbols of travel, striving and adventure. With the goal to place art in neighborhoods, local artists were invited to add their talents and creative energy to make a common suitcase into a unique artwork. In September 2005, more than 100 art suitcases were placed in Tacoma, Wash.-area businesses—and now, The Museum of Flight hosts a juried exhibit of nearly thirty of the timeless and unique suitcases, an unforgettable journey to delight the globetrotter in all of us. Exhibit is free with Museum admission.

Wells Fargo Weekend Family Workshop SAR—Search and Rescue!
Saturdays and Sundays, December 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18 and 24, 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Help the helpers! Lend a hand in designing Seattle's new Coast Guard Air Rescue Base! Learn all about the lifesaving duties of the Coast Guard’s brave aviators and capable aircraft, and then design and build your own rescue base. When it’s done, answer the call as you try your hand at your very own rescue mission! Weekend Family Workshops are free with Museum admission every Saturday and Sunday.

100 Years of Flight Holiday Light Display
Saturday, December 3, 2005–Sunday, Jan. 2, 2006, 5:30–7:30 p.m.
In celebration of the holiday season, see a whimsical outdoor light display that bookends the first hundred years of powered flight. A 1/2-scale Wright Flyer replica (20-ft. wingspan) and a 1/8-scale Concorde Supersonic jetliner replica (24-ft. length) will add a festive glow to the William E. Boeing Red Barn® at night. The Wright Flyer replica is piloted by Santa Claus and led by Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer flying through the evening sky. The display will be on exhibit through Sunday, Jan. 2, 2006, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Outdoor display is free.

Wells Fargo Weekend Family Workshop SAR—Search and Rescue!
Saturdays and Sundays, December 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18 and 24, 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Help the helpers! Lend a hand in designing Seattle's new Coast Guard Air Rescue Base! Learn all about the lifesaving duties of the Coast Guard’s brave aviators and capable aircraft, and then design and build your own rescue base. When it’s done, answer the call as you try your hand at your very own rescue mission! Weekend Family Workshops are free with Museum admission every Saturday and Sunday.

Meet the Twister! Presentation and Aircraft Display
Saturday, December 10, 2 p.m. Boeing engineer Mike Friend is the owner/builder/pilot of the first Twister kitplane in the United States a German-designed sport plane that resembles the famous Spitfire. His multimedia presentation will cover some of the technical innovations of the Twister, as well as the experience of building and flying the little machine. Museum visitors can view his aircraft on display throughout the day. This program is co-sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Section of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Event is free with Museum admission.

Wright Spirit Community Holiday Celebration
Saturday, December 17, 9:45 a.m.–5 p.m.
Celebrate the Wright brothers first flight, along with the spirit of the season. Santa will arrive by helicopter at 10 a.m., and he and Mrs. Claus will greet children in the Great Gallery 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., and 1–3 p.m. Also on hand to help answer the question whether reindeer really know how to fly will be two of Santa’s hoofed assistants—one real reindeer named Holly from the Cougar Mountain Zoological Park in Issaquah, Wash., and one fake-but-fun reindeer named Rhubarb, mascot of the Tacoma Rainiers. Holly, with her handler, will be available for a gentle, hands-on educational experience for children 10–11 a.m.; Rhubarb will be here to warm up the crowd for Santa from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. Enjoy holiday music and discounted Museum gift memberships throughout the day. Event is free with Museum admission.

Blackbird Tip-to-Tail Tours
Monday, December 26–Saturday, December 31, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Still the fastest piloted jet the world has ever seen more than four decades after its first flights, the Lockheed Blackbird continues to fascinate and amaze. And so do the Museum’s wonderfully knowledgeable docents! Continuing a holiday tradition, the docents pull out all the stops for their special Tip-to-Tail Tours of the Museum’s unique M/D-21 Blackbird and Drone. Learn something new among the astounding facts and figures the docents share. Event is free with Museum admission.

Wells Fargo Weekend Family Workshop Winter Break Blast-Off!
Monday, December 26–Friday, December 30, 12 noon–3 p.m.
The countdown is on! Winter break is coming, and we're ready with daily flight activities to help fill your vacation with high-flying fun! Build and test-fly the featured "Glider of the Day," make your own aviation art creations and much more! It's all here, so come down and have a blast! Weekend Family Workshops are free with Museum admission every Saturday and Sunday.

The Museum of Flight is located at 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle, Exit 158 off Interstate 5. The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $14 for adults, $13 for seniors 65 and older, $7.50 for youth 5 to 17, and free for children under 5. Group rates are available. Admission on the first Thursday of the month is free from 5 to 9 p.m. courtesy of Wells Fargo. For general Museum information, please call 206-764-5720 or visit www.museumofflight.org on the Web.

Please Note: Electronic images are available to the media upon request. Please contact Eden Hopkins at 206-768-7105, or via ehopkins@museumofflight.org.

###