Families do many things together, so it's not surprising that the love of flying and connection to air and space can be shared with family members! 

This month we'll explore these connections and help you explore your own family stories. 

Jump to A Section:       How to Read a Log Book     Finger Puppet Family      Make a Family Patch      Story Time Recommendations      Spotlight Story      Collections Connections

African-American pilot Cornelius Coffey and his wife Willa Brown taught many people to fly during a time when not everyone was allowed to because of their race or gender.

Watch this video to learn more about these amazing pilots.

Think About It! Do you have a favorite hobby or sport that you like to do with a family member? What are some ways that you share your interests?

Activity: How to Read an Aviation Logbook

Best for ages 10 and up

Do you have a pilot in your family? If you do, then they are very familiar with logbooks. Aviators use log books to keep track of flight time, important activities they performed in flight, and where they went, like a journal. These hours show that an aviator has performed key skills. 

Our museum has collected logbooks from airplanes because they tell the story of that airplane, like who flew it, where it flew and how many times it has flown. 

A pilot’s logbook can also tell the story of their time as a pilot since it records where a pilot has flown and what plane they flew. Along with hours, pilots sometimes write down memories, challenges and successes.

This activity shows you how to read a logbook to find out more about a plane and pilot’s history. If you have a pilot in your family, you can use these same steps to learn more about your family member’s history of flying!

Scroll through the images below for the steps on how to do this activity. 

  • Log book
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    This is an example of a pilot’s logbook that belonged to a person named Gregory Boyington. 
     

  • Two interior pages of a log book. Headings include Date, Fr., To, To, Remarks, Miles, 1st Pilot, 2nd Pilot, Multi-Motor."
    Download Image

    On the inside you can see what notes Mr. Boyington had to write down, which included:

    • Month, Year, and Day
    • Type of plane
    • Tail number
    • “From” and “To” - from one place to another
    • Remarks
    • How far they flew
    • How long they flew (in minutes or hours)
  • An excerpt from a log book with a red box isolating one flight's information.
    Download Image

    Let’s look at this row. From these notes, we know that:

    • On June 16, 1938, Mr. Boyington flew a DC-3 airplane with the tail number 334.
    • He flew from Santa Monica California to El Paso, Texas.
    • He flew 725 miles.

     

  • An open logbook with the details from one flight highlighted. The date is December 3rd, remarks read "Instrument check," Miles "240" 1st "1:40," Instrument Check "1:40," Multi-Motor "1:40."
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    Try it yourself! Look at this row. 

    • When did Mr. Boyington fly?
    • What type of plane did he fly? 
    • How many miles did he fly?

    Hint: look at columns 1, 2, 3 and 8.

  • View of the “America by Air” gallery hanging aircraft, showing the Eastern Airlines Douglas DC-3, a large silver aircraft with blue and orange embellishment on the side, at the Smithsonian National Air and at Space Museum in Washington, DC.
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    Fun fact! The DC-3 airplane that is listed in Mr. Boyington’s logbook is in our museum!

    How do we know?

  • Blue tail of Douglas DC-3 aircraft with red eagle detail
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    The Douglas DC-3 in its old display in the America by Air hall.

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  • Log book
  • Two interior pages of a log book. Headings include Date, Fr., To, To, Remarks, Miles, 1st Pilot, 2nd Pilot, Multi-Motor."
  • An excerpt from a log book with a red box isolating one flight's information.
  • An open logbook with the details from one flight highlighted. The date is December 3rd, remarks read "Instrument check," Miles "240" 1st "1:40," Instrument Check "1:40," Multi-Motor "1:40."
  • View of the “America by Air” gallery hanging aircraft, showing the Eastern Airlines Douglas DC-3, a large silver aircraft with blue and orange embellishment on the side, at the Smithsonian National Air and at Space Museum in Washington, DC.
  • Blue tail of Douglas DC-3 aircraft with red eagle detail

Craft Activity: Finger Puppet Family

Best for ages 6 and up, with adult assistance for crafting steps

The story of twin astronaut brothers Mark and Scott Kelly and their adventures together inspired this activity. Create a family of finger puppet astronauts and make up a story about their adventures together! There are two ways to make these puppets - using felt or paper.

Two adult men who are identical twins stare at the camera. They are both bald, the one on the left has a mustache. They wear blue flight jackets with NASA patches on them.

Astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly are identical twins. 

Materials You'll Need:

  • Astronaut template 
  • White paper
  • Markers, crayons or colored pencils
  • Glue or scotch tape
Two three year old boys in the 1960s. They wear matching orange short and striped orange blazers.

 Astronaut twin brothers Scott Kelly, left, and brother Mark Kelly at age 3 in 1967.

Steps

1. To create your astronauts, you have two options. 

Option A: Print out the astronaut template and cut out the puppets.
Option B: Trace around the template to make multiple puppets.

2. Draw and color in any details you want to add. Cut around the astronaut 

3. Cut a strip of paper or card stock ½ inch by 3 inches in size.

4. Fold a ½ inch edge of the strip up to create a tab on each end of the strip

5. Glue or tape the tabs on the back of the astronaut shape to create a loop that sticks up.

6. Slide your finger into the loop of the puppet to play!

Outlines of cartoon astronauts.

This image is for a Soar Together activity. 

A completed finger puppet colored in blue and purple.

This is an image of a Soar Together activity. 

Craft Activity: Make a Family Patch

What is the meaning of all those patches you see on astronaut and aviator clothing?

Patches are used to represent certain missions that an astronaut was part of, teams that an aviator was part of or jobs that an aviator had. Patches can be used to celebrate special events or achievements. 

Take a look at the different patches in the image to the right. How many different symbols can you find? See if you can find the following:

  • wings
  • stars
  • an eagle 
  • aircraft
  • names of people

The symbols in these patches have a special meaning for that mission or team.

Four patches from space missions or historic flights.

Patches are used to represent certain missions that an astronaut was part of, teams that an aviator was part of or jobs that an aviator had. Patches can be used to celebrate special events or achievements. 

Make a Patch that Represents Your Family

Materials You'll Need:

  • Piece of paper
  • Pencil
  • Coloring materials (markers, crayons or colored pencils)
  • Other optional materials:
    • Stickers
    • Old magazines or catalogs
    • Glue

Steps:

1. Think about this question—if you were to design a patch that you would wear on your jacket or on your backpack that let people know about your family, what would it look like? 

2. Talk as a family to figure out what symbols you want to include on your patch that would tell people something about your family. Use these questions and prompts to help:

  • Sometimes patches include flags or maps to show where astronauts or aviators are from. Do you want to include a symbol about where you live?
  • Is there a symbol you could use that would tell people about your family's favorite activities or things? 
  • Decide what shape you want your patch to be—circle, triangle or rectangle. Draw this shape in the middle of your paper. Make sure it's big enough so you could draw inside the shape.

3. Work as a family to draw the different parts of your patch. Another option is to use stickers for your symbols or to flip through old magazines to find images you want to use.

4. Share your patch design with friends and other family members!

Story Time Recommendations

An illustrated book cover shows a young boy sleeping on a crescent moon. He wears a homemade helmet that says "NASA," near him is a rocket. The title is "Goodnight, Astronaut."

Goodnight, Astronaut

by Scott Kelly, illustrated by Izzy Burton

Best for ages 3-7

Learn about the adventures that astronaut Scott Kelly and his identical twin brother Mark had on their path to become the first twin astronaut brothers.

A book cover showing a young girl with her hands on her hips, looking skyward. Behind her is an illustration of the first flight. The book is titled "My Brothers' Flying Machine: Wilbur, Orville, and Me."

My Brothers' Flying Machine: Wilbur, Orville, and Me

by Jane Yolen, paintings by Jim Burke

Best for ages 6-10

Meet Katharine, the Wright brothers' younger sister, and learn about the important role she played in their invention of the Wright Flyer. 

A children's book cover showing a young girl looking at planes flying in formation

by Michelle (MACE) Curran, illustrated by Skylar White

Best for ages 6-10

An adventurous 8-year-old wants to fly planes after seeing six fighter jets streak over her school. Facing skepticism from her peers and her own self-doubt, a heartwarming bond with her grandpa brings her to a pivotal moment in her life.

Spotlight Story: The Ninety-Nines, another type of pilot family

Several women in 1920s fashion smile at the camera in a group portrait.

In 1929, 99 women pilots gathered together and decided to form a council to support one another and their love of aviation and flying. This happened at a time when women in professional fields was unheard of. They called the council The Ninety-Nines for the first 99 pilots who started the council.

The logo for the Ninety-Nines, showing two intertwined nines in the center of a compass.

The Ninety-Nines became a place for socializing, filing records of the women aviators and their flights, and creating a community.

Amelia Earhart seated on the horizontal stabilizer of her Lockheed Model 10-E Electra

The sisterhood is still in effect today, with over 5,000 members. They have chapters worldwide, reaching 44 countries.  Some of the most famous members included Amelia Earhart, Ida Van Smith, and Louise Thadden.

White cotton jacket with zipper front and two pockets. Logo for the Ninety-Nines, a tall and skinny 9 superimposed on a short and wide 9, is on left breast.

The organization offers scholarships and mentorships to women who want to become a pilot and achieve their license. The sisterhood has helped many woman achieve the ability to fly!

Think about it! All families are different and some "families" can be clubs, teams or organizations that you belong to that help you learn, grow and share interests. Do you have a group like this?

Collection Connections

A gold bracelet has four space-theme charms: an Atlas rocket, a Gemini spacecraft, a Mercury spacecraft, and a Redstone rocket. The bracelet has two other charms: An octagonal charm reads “1st Grade” / “62”. A heart-shape charm is engraved with “1967”.

Charm Bracelet

Pictured is a bracelet Bob L. Foster, chief engineer on Project Mercury and operations director on the Project Gemini, gave his wife Toni to thank her for her love and  support while he worked on the human space flight program.

Bob Foster was part of a team of many engineers and astronauts who worked hard to achieve the unthinkable - sending humans into space and to the Moon. If you look closely at the charms on the bracelet, you'll see that there are rockets and space capsules! 

We hear many stories about these Moon Mission teams, but their families were an important part of this history. Families relocated and moved many times to be close to their family members. Families built community with each other to support all parts of everyday life.

A small lapel pin with golden wings flanking a round emblem that reads "Aircraft Propellers."

Sensenich Brothers Pin

In 1928, two Pennsylvania brothers, Harry and Martin Sensenich, created a farm wagon propelled by air, made out of a World War I aircraft propeller and an engine. This experience led them to start a company in 1932 to build wooden propellers. They became one of the largest producers of this aircraft part in World War II. 

Pictured is a lapel pin that would have been worn by someone in the company, or a supporter of the brothers. It is also a  symbol of the brother's contribution to the fight.

A trophy of a woman holding a plane photographed against a white background.

The Stinson Trophy

The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) awards the Stinson trophy, named after sisters Marjorie and Katherine Stinson sisters, for women's achievement in aviation and space. The Stinson sisters were two of the first women pilots in the United States. The Stinson sisters, along with their brother and mother, founded an aviation school in San Antonio, Texas.

This trophy, pictured as the Roman god, Mercury.  He is holding a small model plane, one that a pilot like Marjorie and Katherine would have flown. 

Think about it! Do you have a memento or special object in your home that reminds you of a family memory or special occasion? Ask a family member the same question. You may discover a family story you weren't aware of! You can also share a story with a family member about one of your special objects.

Soar Together at Air and Space is made possible by the generous support of Northrop Grumman.

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