Media Inquiries Public Inquiries 202-633-1000 Retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Robin Olds delivers the first lecture at the National Air and Space Museum's new Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., on Friday, April 16, at 8 p.m.

Olds will speak about his distinguished career as an Air Force officer, which began in 1943.  For 30 years, he was a strong proponent of tactical air power, rather then dependence on massive heavy bomber strength and nuclear capability alone.  A graduate of West Point, Olds is a combat veteran of World War II and Vietnam.  His leadership positions  included the command of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing and commandant of cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Olds retired from active duty in 1973.

The lecture, in the Udvar-Hazy Center's IMAX theater, is sponsored by the museum's National Air and Space Society. Tickets are $15 for Society members and $20 for the general public and may be ordered by calling (202) 633-2603, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is no charge for parking at this event. 

The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is a companion facility to the museum's flagship building on the National Mall in Washington. Since opening on Dec. 15, 2003 near Washington Dulles International Airport, it has attracted more than 600,000 visitors. The center is home to  the space shuttle Enterprise, a Concorde, a SR-71 Blackbird, the "Dash 80," S-307 Stratoliner and the B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, among scores of other aircraft and large space artifacts.

Both National Air and Space Museum facilities are open daily from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. (Closed December 25.). Admission is free but there is a $12 fee for parking at the Udvar-Hazy Center. Shuttle bus service runs between the facilities with a roundtrip ticket costing $7 (group discounts are available). Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF (Ret.) Brig. Gen. Robin Olds, USAF, paints a white star on the side of an Air Force jet.