More than two dozen aircraft—from a 1929 Fleet biplane and an F-18 Hornet to a giant hot air balloon—will visit the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on Saturday, June 17 as part of the second annual "Reach for the Sky" Become a Pilot Family Day.

Appearing with their aircraft parked outside the Chantilly, Va. center’s huge Boeing Aviation Hangar, pilots will greet visitors and discuss life in the cockpit, and in some cases, let visitors climb behind the controls.  The day offers the public the rare chance to study working aircraft up close.

One of the airplanes that will be visiting is the Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros, a jet trainer used by the Warsaw Pact nations during the Cold War. The Albatros holds up to 2,425 pounds of weapons and is one of the most popular retired warbirds in the world, with more than 220 believed to be actively flying in the United States.

Also on hand for the day will be the North American T-6 Texan, a World War II and Korean War trainer used to teach a variety of maneuvers including rolls, spins and loops. 

Inside the center on June 17, visitors will be able to attend a “briefing” on flight ramp safety, learn about the science and early history of flight, tour the center, learn to build models of their favorite aircraft, and view treasures like the Concorde, an SR-71 Blackbird and the Space Shuttle Enterprise. A special “Flights of Fancy” storytime and hands-on activities will be offered for younger visitors.

The participation of visiting aircraft in this event is weather contingent. Should inclement weather prevent those aircraft from taking part, Family Day activities inside the center will still occur.

A full list of participating aircraft is available on the National Air and Space Museum Calendar of Events at www.nasm.si.edu/events/calendar.cfm. 

Because of safety and security issues, there will be no public viewing of the aircraft arriving and departing at the nearby Washington Dulles International Airport.

The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly, off of Route 28. It is open daily from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission to the Udvar-Hazy Center is free, but there is a $12 fee for parking.

Making it a "Wings and Wheels" Father’s Day weekend in Chantilly, the nearby Sully Historic Site will host its annual antique car show on Sunday, June 18, from 10 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Vintage trucks and motorcycles will also be displayed. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $5 for children. There is free parking on the Sully grounds.