Young people do not often view museums as a viable or exciting career option. Many still view our institutions with an antiquated view, as stuffy and old fashioned repositories of "stuff." How then do you recruit the next generation of museum professional into our industry? This session will explore ideas and methods that will ensure that the next wave of museum personnel comes to museums with high levels of training, skills, dedication, and passion that others have brought in the past, while also reflecting our diverse and changing communities.

In 1952 a Swedish Intelligence-gathering DC-3 went missing over the Baltic Sea. For more than 50 years the missing plane remained a mystery. In 2003, the DC-3 was recovered at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, and in order to identify the crew, it was also salvaged. A major crash investigation was started revealing not only the fate of the crew and the aircraft but also Sweden's biggest Cold War secret, neutral Sweden wasn't neutral at all. Now on display at the Air Force Museum, the wreckage of the DC-3 tells the Swedish Cold War story.

Working with the wreckage of the DC-3 and putting it on display was a very special and immense project for the Swedish Air Force Museum. Starting with the conservation of the wreckage, and ending with an exhibition where the wreckage mediates the story of Sweden during the Cold War, this session will focus on the conservation process of the wreckage, and our thoughts, challenges, and lessons learned in putting it in on display.

The second part of this session will discuss the only complete surviving building complex from the Peenemunde Army Research Center: the power plant and its technical systems which created the V-2 rocket. Today it is not only the largest technical monument in the German state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, it also houses the Peenemunde Museum. Because of its historical authenticity, the museum's building is thus itself an important large artifact. The speaker will examine the restoration or preservation of the metal components in particular.

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Many of the materials used in historic aircraft and space vehicles are known to be hazardous and require special handling and care during even routine museum activities. Since the early 1970s occupational and environmental regulations have continued to evolve, while becoming more stringent and introducing ever increasing financial and legal penalties for non-compliance. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission also issued new regulatory frameworks for discrete sources (i.e. gauges, etc) of radium in 2005, which all museums must now follow.

This session will address common radiological hazards found in aerospace museums (notably radium painted aircraft gauges) and the regulations that govern these hazards, as well as provide guidance on where to find assistance to ensure that your museum is handling radioactive items safely and legally. Additionally, the session will provide an overview of the National Air and Space Museum’s standard operating procedures for storing, moving, displaying, and tracking the radioactive artifacts in its collection.

Break

Concurrent Sessions:

The National Air and Space Museum's Apollo Spacesuits: Balancing Preservation and Exhibition

In the 1970-80s, the common way to exhibit an Apollo spacesuit was in full-up assembled configuration to recreate iconic lunar scenes. This panel will demonstrate how new historical interpretation, diligent conversation and preservation work, innovative approaches to exhibits, and new ways to display the collection has allowed the National Air and Space Museum to share its fragile spacesuit collection. Participants will see examples of how a shift in interpretation of an object can lead to new, unexpected, and often economical ways to display and preserve the object, while presenting conservation in a compelling way. The full-scale photography exhibit of the spacesuits will be highlighted.

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Can aerospace museums help create the next generation of scientists and engineers — in a tangible way? The answer is yes. The concrete connection of artifacts to education and digital media is a vital way to engage school-age children and introduce them to aerospace. This important starting point can foster passion for, and involvement with, RPC for the next generation.

The first part of this session will illustrate how Wings of Eagles Discovery Center uses a combination of aerospace artifacts and digital media to support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education both inside and outside the museum. The session will explain the key elements of a digital strategy to make the science real and enhance student interest in STEM fields.

The second part of this session will explain how museums can use the Flight Trio model developed at the National Air and Space Museum to consolidate their knowledge and share artifacts and aerospace theory with visitors aged 8-18, either on-site or through a complete self-help kit online for off-site group leaders. Participants will learn how to personalize the program to their museum's artifacts and implement the program for museum visits or educational providers like summer program leaders, youth group leaders, and school teachers, as well as parents/guardians /grandparents.

Many museums restore their aircraft and spacecraft based on what will attract visitors. Sometimes these restoration projects conflict with the history of the actual craft. It is at this time that curators and restoration teams find themselves at odds. This session is aimed to look at examples of restoration projects and how the curator and restoration team have interacted whether it be in complete harmony or as two ships passing in the night. The goal is to create better understanding of the need for curators and restorers to work closely, share information, and produce the perfect result.

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This session will highlight three unique collections from the National Air and Space Museum: Cellulose Acetate Airplane Recognition Models, Flight Goggles and Space Food. All three of these collections have preservation concerns, which have led the curators to seek conservation advice, and to research the most appropriate ways to preserve, display, and store them for the future.

Each speaker will address the complex research problems, steps they have taken toward the long-term preservation of the collection or material, and the hard decisions that had to be made regarding the possible deaccession of some of these items.

Explore Mutual Concerns' future locations. In this session, we will hear from the museums excited about having you visit their museum for the conference. You will learn about the plans they will make for your visit, and have a chance to place your votes for the locations for the next five years. We look forward to hearing from the museums and setting a tentative schedule for future Mutual Concerns locations.

Let's also brainstorm together! The last few years have witnessed the biggest influx of new and youthful blood to the conference since we started it. Let's use that knowledge to explore some new and creative thoughts for the meeting, including, but not limited to, the idea for a weekly radio program coming to you live from a different air and space museum each and every week --- including internationally!

If each of us came up with a crazy-but-doable idea every museum will benefit over time. Bring your wildest dreams to the table and see if we can get them "To Da Moon..."

Morning sessions at the Hyatt Regency Reston
Afternoon at the National Museum of the Marine Corps

Complimentary roundtrip shuttle will be provided from the Hyatt to the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

Concurrent Sessions:

Controversial decisions regarding conservation techniques and display configurations are something all museums face. In this session, two different Apollo era artifacts will be the central topics. A Saturn V rocket that was in dire need of conservation after decades of neglect was assembled from parts of test vehicles, redundant flight hardware, and replica components, and a lunar module (LM-2), an un-flown test vehicle, on display at the National Air and Space Museum as Eagle of Apollo 11. The Saturn V is now displayed as the Apollo 11 launch vehicle and there are discussions about the possibility of returning the LM-2 back to its original configuration as the test vehicle. The panel speakers will address the reasons behind this display configuration dichotomy as well as the materials and techniques used in the conservation of the artifacts.

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Strategic planning is considered a best practice in managing any type of organization and has been gaining ground in the museum sector including smaller local museums. In this session, a few different methods of strategic planning will be discussed, with a view to gaining the critical engagement of staff and board members in the process. Discussion will include looking beyond the IRS requirements to the many good reasons to engage in strategic planning. Common pitfalls and challenges will be covered, along with path to a successful process that leads to ongoing application after the initial planning process is over.

When a museum acquires an aircraft, its complete history is often hidden, with small pieces of information scattered about in numerous places. This session explores how a variety of detective skills from tracking down previous owners to diving into history records have been used to record all-encompassing histories that reveal everything possible about an aircraft from the day it was built to the present. With "aircraft sleuthing" stories, this session will demonstrate research methods and the way to build collected histories that can be used get the most out of artifacts. Sample aircraft histories and aircraft research resources guides will be provided.

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This session will be a case study of a contracted restoration project gone off the rails and taken back by the owning museum: an unfortunate event that can happen to anyone. The first part of this session will be a successor executive director recounting the steps of taking back the restoration of a Pilgrim, an aircraft central to the museum's narrative story. From the decision making process to terminating the contract to going to the contractor's site to pack and drive away the pieces. The second panelist, an aircraft contractor who does restoration and replicas, will present the process to having a good working relationship between contractor and "owner" for a successful project. From the decision-making process to terminating the contract to collecting the pieces, this session provides a poignant set of lessons learned and some process steps to reduce the risk in contracting aircraft restoration projects.

Plenary Session:

All museums are faced with moving or implementation of new storage solutions at some time in their growth, and moving and packing collections can be most challenging. The National Air and Space Museum has put together procedures and guidelines for moving the collections from the Paul E. Garber Facility to the Udvar-Hazy Center. While every collection of objects and museum move is unique in its own way, the guidelines can serve as a template for other moves. From planning to packing and transporting, any museum faced with the challenging task of moving collections will benefit from this discussion. Lessons learned will be presented, as well as how to find practical yet economical ways to pack and transport unique artifacts. This session will offer advice, examples, and solutions for moves, as well as provide guidelines, supply lists, projected staff, and budget analysis for a move.

Since the early 1970s occupational and environmental regulations continue to evolve, become more stringent and have increasing financial and legal penalties for non-compliance. What was acceptable 10 years ago is not now and changes will continue to be ever more demanding and challenging for small and large organizations to comply. This session will examine things like evaluating and handling your hazardous waste stream, keeping on the right side of worker safety and OSHA compliance, and developing awareness among museums and staff that they are responsible under the law to care for not only the environment, but their workplace, coworkers, and visitors. This session will give an overview of resources and specialists (some free, some for hire) that can advise museums on these topics.

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Museums have the "real deal" — artifacts and archives are the primary sources of history. These are the materials that can excite students and teachers as they explore history and the events that shape our time. Yet primary sources need to be evaluated and interpreted. Primary sources have become an increasingly important aspect of teaching history at all grade levels. This session will demonstrate the process of how to use your artifact base to build an education experience that will draw in teachers and students while helping them to meet required standards of learning in the U.S.

Tours and free time at the Museum

Each artifact has a unique history and set of challenges that must be carefully considered by the restorer, curator, and conservator. Before initiating any restoration, a clear vision of the end objective needs to be defined and agreed upon by all three interests. Preservation of authenticity should always be the overriding theme, but oftentimes work performed on an artifact will incorporate aspects of restoration, conservation, and preservation, depending on its unique circumstances. Decisions on how an artifact will be treated should be based on an amalgamation of opinions from the three different areas of expertise: the restorer on physical capabilities and allocation of skilled resources; the curator on history, significance, and connection to society; and the conservator on preservation philosophy. The merging of these three areas ensures that the artifact will be treated in the most responsible way and result is a well-preserved artifact which remains a historical resource for scholars, yet serves to educate and inspire the general public.

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Sessions conclude

Critiques, door prize drawings and closing remarks

OPTIONAL FIELD TRIPS:

Shuttle departs Virginia Air and Space Museum for lunch and then continues to the Military Aviation Museum/Fighter Factory.

• Admission fees for all Monday’s venues.
• Transportation from Hyatt Regency Reston to Richmond International Airport. Participant MUST depart at Richmond International Airport for afternoon flights. See Richmond Departure Option.
  

• Admission for all venues.
• Box lunches on Tuesday.
• Roundtrip transportation from Hyatt Regency Reston. Participants may choose to depart from Dulles International Airport for late night departures. See Dulles Departure Option.