The Museum of Flight in Seattle, WA, marks its 60th anniversary this month with a celebratory weekend of programs on September 13–14. Visitors will enjoy special tours, exhibits, lectures, and family-friendly activities, along with two major highlights: the public debut of the Museum’s newly acquired Learjet 24A and the premiere screening of a documentary about the legendary Flying Tigers.
On Saturday, September 13, the festivities begin at 11 a.m. when Howard Lovering, the Museum’s first executive director, presents “Celebrating 60 Years of the Museum.” His talk will trace the remarkable journey of the institution from a modest storefront near the Space Needle to its current status as the world’s largest independent air and space museum. Lovering, who led the Museum from 1977 to 1991, is also the author of For Future Generations, the definitive history of the Museum of Flight.
Later that day, attention will turn to the Museum’s latest addition to its aircraft collection: a classic Learjet 24A registered as N1965L. Built in 1965, this jet was the twelfth of its kind and quickly became a symbol of the Sixties jet age. The aircraft was donated by aviation pioneer Clay Lacy, one of the very first Learjet pilots, whose influence brought the sleek personal jet into the circles of Hollywood stars such as Frank Sinatra. On September 13, the Learjet will make a dramatic entrance into the Museum’s main parking lot at 1 p.m., where Clay Lacy and invited guests will greet it. The aircraft will remain on display throughout the day before being moved to the Museum’s Restoration Center for conservation and eventual permanent indoor exhibition.
That same afternoon, the Museum will also host the premiere screening of Their Memory Lives, a new documentary chronicling the story of the American Volunteer Group, better known as the Flying Tigers. Using archival photographs and interviews with descendants of the pilots and support crews, the film offers an intimate look at the 100 American volunteers and their multinational support team who rallied to defend China against Japanese forces even before the United States entered World War II. The one-hour screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring the filmmakers and several family members of the Flying Tigers depicted in the film.
Throughout the anniversary weekend, visitors can enjoy behind-the-scenes glimpses of rare artifacts in the “Collections from the Vault” display, participate in a special memory wall and scavenger hunt, and take part in hands-on family workshops offered from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Public tours highlighting six decades of Museum history will be offered both days at noon and again at 2 p.m. On Saturday, the Learjet will be on view from 1 to 5 p.m., and the Flying Tigers documentary will be screened from 2 to 3:30 p.m. The weekend promises to be both a celebration of the Museum’s remarkable past and a showcase of the inspiring stories and artifacts that continue to define its mission for future generations. For more information, visit www.museumofflight.org.
