The Kansas Aviation Museum now features two recurring, monthly events, seeking to encourage public interaction both with their significant collection and the region’s aviation heritage. Senior Thursdays is the first of these offerings, starting up at 10:00 am on the second Thursday of each month, while the second series, dubbed Little Aviators, runs every Friday morning between 10:00 am and noon.
Senior Thursdays, co-hosted by the Skyward Credit Union, involves a guest speaker giving a presentation about topics relating to Wichita and aviation. Prior speakers have included dedicated individuals such as Col Ed Sykes (USAF Ret’d) who described his work recovering lost servicemen who perished in Laos during the sprawling, South East Asian conflict half a century ago, and Col Jacob Thomburg (USAF) discussing the work of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing at McConnell AFB and their collaboration with Kansas Honor Flights to bring veterans to Washington DC to visit the memorials commemorating the wars they participated in. This April’s event will feature Capt. Michael Townsend, a professor at Wichita State University, who will discuss his work in the Professional Pilot Program. Entry to the Senior Thursday event is free and open to all ages. The public are encouraged to stay following the presentation and explore the museum.
Little Aviators is an open invitation for children and their parents to explore and enjoy the museum and its offerings. During these events, visitors are encouraged to wander through the exhibits, ask questions, and generally immerse themselves within the area’s aviation heritage. Children and their families who take part in this event will have access to the museum’s Boeing: Science, Math, and History Center and Lattner Learning Hangar, and the aircraft on the museum’s ramp outside. Children aged 1 through 12, plus one parent per child, get into the museum for free each Friday during Little Aviators.
The Kansas Aviation Museum lies at the heart of Wichita, Kansas, housed within the historic Wichita Airport Terminal nestled between McConnell Air Force Base and Spirit Aerosystems. Dedicated on March 31st, 1935, the museum’s home is the embodiment of Wichita aviation history itself. The city boasts a rich history in the field flight, and is commonly referred to as The Air Capital of the World, since fabled manufacturers such as Beechcraft, Cessna, Learjet, Mooney, and Stearman, first spread their wings over this hallowed ground. To learn more about the Kansas Aviation Museum and their upcoming events, please check out their HERE.
Angela Decker, from McPherson, Kansas, discovered her passion for aviation after earning a Master’s in Military History from Norwich University in 2011. Since 2012, she has volunteered with vintage aviation groups, excelling as a social media content creator and coordinator. Angela has coordinated aviation and WWII events, appeared as Rosie the Riveter, and is restoring a Stearman aircraft. She is the Operations Logistics Coordinator at CAF Airbase Georgia and an accountant with a degree in Economics from the University of Georgia. Her son, Caden, shares her love for aviation and history and is studying Digital Media Arts.
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