The Lone Star Flight Museum is getting ready to unveil their brand new facility at Ellington Field near Houston, Texas on September 2nd. As many readers will recall, this marvelous museum used to be located on the coast in Galveston, Texas. It was a fabulous facility, but so close to the water that there was always a risk of flooding. Sadly that risk turned to reality following a storm surge during Hurricane Ike in September, 2008. A wall of water punched through the museum walls, causing devastation inside. Thankfully, all of the flying aircraft had evacuated prior to the deluge, but many static aircraft and historic exhibits were badly damaged by the flood. Realizing that it was only a matter of time before such a catastrophe could happen again, the museum decided it was wiser to move locations than rebuild in Galveston. So they chose Ellington Field for the site of their new facility. Ellington Field is a historic aviation site in its own right and also home to a number of other significant vintage aviation collections, including the Collings Foundation’s Vietnam Memorial Flight. NASA also maintains several important aircraft here, including their Boeing Super Guppy transport. The Lone Star Flight Museum has put a lot of love and care into their new facility, and it has a bright future indeed. The following is the museum’s press release concerning the upcoming opening…
(Houston, TX) – The Lone Star Flight Museum (LSFM) will open the doors of its new $38 million, 130,000 square-foot aviation history and STEM facility, Saturday, September 2, 2017. Breaking ground almost a year and a half ago at Ellington Airport, the world-class facility will share the story of flight in the Lone Star State and feature the contributions Texas and Texans have made to aviation. Highlights of the museum include interactive exhibits focused on science, technology engineering and math (STEM) concepts essential to flight, a $1 million Aviation Learning Center, the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame and a marvelous flying collection of historically significant aircraft.
To celebrate its grand opening, the Lone Star Flight Museum will conduct a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, September 1, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. The Museum will open to the public on Saturday, September 2, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. with fun, family activities, food trucks, and free admission for children 11 and under. Grand Opening Weekend festivities will conclude on Monday, September 4, 2017 at 5:00 p.m.
STEM EDUCATION
The Lone Star Flight Museum will combine a comprehensive education program with an immersive aviation experience. With a focus on teaching history through science, and science through history, LSFM will promote a lifelong learning of STEM concepts. Dynamic programming and interactive experiences include the Aviation Learning Center and classes. All classes are aligned with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards.
The $1 million Aviation Learning Center (ALC), the second of its kind in the U.S., immerses visitors in the energy and excitement of flight through a hands-on learning experience. Designed for students in grades 5-12, participants get a taste of aviation training, preflight a Mooney aircraft, and pilot a simulated flight.
The Lone Star Flight Museum is an ideal destination for school field trips with the ability to customize itineraries forstudents K-12. Students can experience 26 hands-on interactives as part of their school field trip experience.
The Flight Academy introduces visitors to the foundations of flight and aircraft design with hands-on exhibits including three replica cockpits, two hang glider simulators, and a theatre featuring a film about the principles and history of flight development.
The Texas Aviation Heritage Gallery is a chronological walk through the history of aviation in Texas. Dive deeper into the story of flight in the Lone Star State through rich graphic panels and touch-screen interactives to learn more about military training, civilian aviators, commercial endeavors, aviation manufacturing and the ways that Texas continues to influence the world of flight.
Established in 1995 at the Museum’s Galveston location, the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame honors the men and women who have shaped the aviation world. Nominations are now being accepted until July 31stfor the 2018 inductees into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame. Those selected will be announced this Fall and will be inducted during the Lone Star Flight Museum’s annual gala on Saturday, May 5, 2018. Those honored will join an impressive list of 71 past inductees representing trailblazers and explorers such as Bessie Coleman; leaders such as President George H. W. Bush; wartime leaders such as Tex Hill; and entrepreneurs such as Howard Hughes and Herb Kelleher.
The Aircraft Collection is housed in two 30,000 square-foot hangars and features more than 20 beautifully restored, historic aircraft including: Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, North American B-25 Mitchell, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, Chance Vought F4U Corsair, Douglas SBD Dauntless, and Douglas DC-3.
FLIGHT EXPERIENCES AND EVENTS
LSFM features a historic aircraft collection that still flies! Visitors may purchase flight experiences in the B-17, B-25, PT-17 Stearman, and PT-19 Cornell. The new museum offers an array of unique spaces ideal for weddings, conferences, meetings, reunions and private events of all kind. Available spaces can accommodate from anything from an intimate event to a grand gala and include classrooms, meeting spaces, hangars, and an executive boardroom.
Enthusiasts can soar down to Houston and experience the new Lone Star Flight Museum with the “Wheels Down Houston” package that includes two passes to Lone Star Flight Museum, two passes to the 1940 Air Terminal Museum at Hobby Airport and first class accommodations at Hilton Houston NASA. Packages start at $159 and rates valid for reservations from 9/2/2017 – 12/30/2017. To reserve, please call 281-333-9300 or visit lonestarflight.org/wheelsdown.
The museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and is closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Ticket pricing and membership information can be found at www.LSFM.org
About The Lone Star Flight Museum
LSFM is a 501(c)(3) aviation museum and STEM learning center with a mission to preserve, educate and inspire. Led by CEO Lt. Gen. (ret) Douglas H. Owens, LSFM’s new $38 million state-of-the-art facility at Houston’s Ellington Airport will open Labor Day weekend 2017. In addition to the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, the 130,000 square foot facility will house the Museum’s renowned flying collection of historic aircraft, a $1 million, high-tech Aviation Learning Center and dynamic hands-on exhibits. LSFM’s vision is to be a world-class educational museum linking an understanding of the past with inspiration for the future. For more information visit lonestarflight.org.
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