Some Remarkable Aircraft and Icons to Visit Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center for “Become a Pilot Family Day and Aviation Display”

More than four dozen aircraft—from a huge U.S. Air Force KC-135 tanker to a 1940s WACO biplane to real hot air balloons—will visit the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on Saturday, June 16 as part of the third annual “Become a Pilot Family Day” at the Chantilly, Va., facility.

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

Other aircraft visiting the Udvar-Hazy Center include an Air Force A10 Thunderbolt II, a supersonic T-38A Talon and a SeaRey amphibian built by the owner in his backyard.

Also on hand for the day will be Jerrie Mock, the Ohio housewife who in 1964 became the first woman to fly solo around the world. Mock’s single-engine Cessna, “The Spirit of Columbus,” now hangs at the Udvar-Hazy Center. SR-71 “Blackbird” pilot Buzz Carpenter will represent the U.S. Air Force’s 60th Anniversary “Living Legends.” Carpenter was among those who piloted the record-fast SR-71 now displayed at the center.

Visitors can try space shuttle, Wright Model B and high-tech cockpit simulators; attend presentations by the Tuskegee Airmen and Airline Pilots Association; learn about the science and early history of flight; fly airplane models; and view Udvar-Hazy Center 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 and their adult companions.

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 http://www.nasm.si.edu/becomeapilot/.

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 Family Day events will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This event is made possible by the generous support of the following organizations and individuals: Northern Virginia Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association; United States Air Force; Loudoun Convention and Visitors Association; Fairfax County Convention and Visitors Corporation; Virginia Tourism Corporation; Aerospace Services International; Air Line Pilots Association; Old Dominion Brewing Company; WTOP Radio; Trade-A-Plane; SpeedNews; Landmark Aviation at Washington Dulles International Airport; JR’s Stockyard Inn; Tom and Jamie Pumpelly; and International Jet Management Inc.

Making it a “Wings and Wheels” Father’s Day weekend in Chantilly, the nearby Sully Historic Site will host its 34th annual antique car show on Sunday, June 17. There is free parking on the Sully grounds.  

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.