Thomas W. Haas We All Fly
Opening in 2022
“No pilot ever forgets his first airplane ride.” —Bill Kershner

Thomas W. Haas We All Fly celebrates the breadth and depth of general aviation and its deep impact on society.  The gallery will explore the many facets of general aviation, from sport to business to humanitarian, and will introduce the variety of careers available in aviation. Aircraft featured in the gallery will include the Aviation Specialties Unlimited Challenger III, Cirrus SR22, and the Lear Jet 23.

Learn about all the ways we're transforming the Museum. 

Sponsors

“Thomas W. Haas We All Fly” is made possible through the generous support of:

Thomas W. Haas Foundation

Flexjet

Gulfstream Aerospace/A General Dynamics Company

    Red biplane flies inverted over dark water, smoke plume coming off the top

    Sean D. Tucker donated his custom-built biplane, the Aviation Specialties Unlimited Challenger III, to the Museum for display in the future "Thomas W. Haas We All Fly" gallery, slated to open in 2022. Displaying the Challenger III in the gallery will showcase the technological achievements of the aircraft, including its eight ailerons that enhanced maneuverability and the engine’s cold-air induction system and state-of-the art fuel injection.

    Lear Jet Model 23 at the Udvar-Hazy Center

    The first Lear jets, the Model 23 Continentals, were the first products of the original Lear Jet Corporation for the new field of business and personal jet aviation.

    Cosmos Phase II ultralight
    A conservation group called Operation Migration, dedicated to replenishing the numbers of endangered birds such as Whooping cranes, used this two-seat ultralight to lead flocks along new migration routes up to 4,025 km (2,500 miles) long, from Canada to the southern United States.
    A white plane flies above the clouds.

    When Cirrus Aircraft co-founder Alan Klapmeier barely survived a midair collision in 1984, he vowed to put a parachute into his planes. By 1999, Alan and brother Dale had created the Cirrus SR20. With a parachute, better visibility, and an ergonomic interior design, it was safer and looked great. In 2001, Cirrus debuted the faster and improved SR22. In 2003, it added a full glass or computer-based Avidyne instrument panel to both designs. The Cirrus series was a “clean sheet” design— new inside and out—the first in 50 years.

    In 2003, this Cirrus SR22, N266CD, became the first single-piston engine aircraft with a “glass panel”— fully integrated avionics via computer screens—to be FAA certified. The primary flight display showed basic instrument information like altitude and airspeed. Its multi-function display provided moving maps, communication, and other data. Prior to the SR22’s full Avidyne panel, this technology had only been available in commercial and multi-engine aircraft, or as separate components. As an all-new design, the SR22 became the instant best seller of its class, energizing the general aviation market.

Go Behind the Scenes 

"Thomas W. Haas We All Fly" Gallery

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