Free Admission with Online Ticket – Event Celebrates Knowledge and Fun at Participating Museums Nationwide

The Frontiers of Flight Museum, in association with the Smithsonian Institution, will open its doors free of charge along with over 1,400 other participating venues for the 11^th annual Museum Day Live!  on Saturday, Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  This immensely successful program, in which the Frontiers of Flight Museum will emulate the free admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, D.C.-based facilities, encourages learning and the spread of knowledge nationwide. The Frontiers of Flight Museum is located 6911 Lemmon Ave. 

Inclusive by design, Museum Day Live! fulfills the Smithsonian’s mission to make cultural education accessible to everyone. For one day only, the Frontiers of Flight Museum will grant free access to visitors who download a Museum Day Live! ticket at: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ist/?next=/museumday/venues/frontiers-of-flight-museum/

The ticket is good for two admissions on Sept. 26, 2015 only.

Museum Day Live! at the Frontiers of Flight Museum will be particularly special this year as guests join to celebrate Girls in Aviation Day and welcome the fully restored Flagship Detroit DC-3 aircraft.

Local participating members of Women in Aviation International are participating in the Museum Day Live! event at the Frontiers of Flight Museum to attract more young women to the aviation and aerospace community. They will host a special panel discussion that will bring all of the passion, exploration, learning, and excitement of aviation and aerospace with industry speakers on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 1:30 p.m.

Another special treat for visitors at the Frontiers of Flight Museum will be the arrival of the Flagship Detroit DC-3 aircraft.   

The aircraft, built in 1937 and widely recognized as one of the most popular passenger carriers in aviation history, has been beautifully restored by the Flagship Detroit Foundation and will be on display Sept. 25-27 at the Frontiers of Flight Museum. Rides are available by purchasing a $150 membership from the Foundation on site.

During Museum Day Live! guests at the Frontiers of Flight Museum will enjoy a full day of family activities including:

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS

Flagship Detroit DC-3 Flights and Tours

• Heritage Flights @ 9 a.m. and 5-7:30 p.m. (Cost $150)
• Static Tours @ 10 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Unveiling of the large-scale “Electra” flown by Amelia Earhart @ 11 a.m.

The Museum Model Shop Volunteers will unveil their new model of Amelia Earhart’s Lockeed Model 10 “Electra.”

Living History Performer @ 11:30 a.m.

“Amelia Earhart” will share her adventurous life in aviation with guests.

Aviation Career Options for Girls @ 1:30 p.m.

Women in Aviation International (WAI) Chapters will host this special panel discussion.  The presentation is designed to introduce girls 6 to 18 the broad array of aviation careers open to them, including becoming airplane pilots, aerospace engineers, air traffic controllers, business people, aircraft maintenance technicians, educators, astronauts, and more.  As an added bonus, the first 200 girls at Frontiers of Flight Museum’s Museum Day Live! will receive a WAI backpack.

ALL-DAY FAMILY FUN ACTIVITIES  

On the mezzanine level, the Museum presents its always-popular Annual Aviation Swap Meet where flight visitors will find the perfect model kit, airplane book or bit of historical aviation memorabilia for your young aviation enthusiasts. 

• Act like a pilot:  Climb aboard the open cockpits in many of the Museum’s aircraft. 
• Build a foam plate glider:  Learn about the four forces of flight.
• Experience the wind tube:  Experiment with paper helicopters in our six-foot wind tube.
• Work toward a goal:  Earn a Girl Scout STEM patch.

For more information on how you can participate in Museum Day Live! and join the national celebration of knowledge and fun at the Frontiers of Flight Museum on Sept. 26 visit: http://www.flightmuseum.com/museum-day-live-2015/

About the Frontiers of Flight Museum

The Frontiers of Flight Museum is conveniently located just north of downtown on Lemmon Avenue at the southeast side of Dallas Love Field Airport, north of Mockingbird Lane. Housed in a modern 100,000-square-foot facility, the Museum provides a focal point to explore the history and progress of aviation, as mankind continues to pursue going higher, faster and farther. Hours of operation: Monday – Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.  Admission Adults $10; Seniors (65+) $6; Youths/Students (3-17) $5 and children under 3 are free.  For more information, visit www.flightmuseum.com.

Virgin America Celebrates with Unveiling of New Museum Exhibit and Fare Sale on the Airline’s Dallas Love Field Routes with $10 Per Booking* Donated to the Museum’s STEM Programs

Virgin America, the airline known for low fares and upscale service, this week announced a new partnership with the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Dallas Love Field (DAL) and unveiled its new exhibit chronicling the airline’s effort to bring its award-winning product and service to DAL. As part of the new partnership, the airline will help provide scholarships for students attending the Flight School and other educational programs at the museum.

Virgin America announced the new partnership on Monday Aug. 11 along with airline teammates, museum officials and local 5-6^th grade students participating in the Flight School program at an unveiling of the airline’s new exhibit. To celebrate the partnership and show its support for the Museum’s STEM programs, the airline is offering a two-for-one deal on flights between DAL and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and fare sale with $10 from each ticket sold to or from the Dallas Metroplex donated to the Frontiers of Flight Museum*.

Tickets start from $49 and are on sale now at www.virginamerica.com and at 1.877.FLY.VIRGIN and must be purchased by 11:59 pm PT on August 13, 2015. The promo code is GIDDYUP for the two for one DAL-AUS flight offer. Also, $10 from ALL flights to/from the Dallas Metroplex during this sale will be donated to the Frontiers of Flight Museum (up to $25K cash and in-kind value).

“Since first launching service in the Dallas metroplex in 2010, Virgin America has been committed to supporting community organizations and educational programs like the Frontiers of Flight Museum’s Flight School,” said Virgin America’s Chief Operating Officer, Steve Forte. “This museum houses a rich aviation history and it’s truly an honor to unveil our exhibit today and share it with fellow aviation enthusiasts.”

Through its partnership with the Frontiers of Flight Museum, Virgin America will provide scholarships for students enrolled in the organization’s Flight School and other educational programs that offer a unique learning environment for students of all ages, designed to apply science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) principals to the area of aviation and space flight through guided museum tours and classroom educational programs. This summer, Virgin America provided scholarships to 50 students to participate in the Flight School program.

Also as part of the extended partnership, Virgin America’s exhibit was unveiled during a commemorative ribbon cutting ceremony and tells the story of the airline’s entrance at Dallas Love Field, including May 2014’s public advocacy campaign at www.FreeLoveField.com, where more than 28,000 travelers have voiced their support of free-market competition, low fares and more choice at Love Field. The Virgin America exhibit also displays the original "Love Letter to Love Field" written by Sir Richard Branson, photographs from the airline’s launch festivities at Dallas Love Field on October 13, 2014 and video highlights of Virgin America’s eight-year history.

“We are very excited about having this remarkable exhibit in our Love Field Gallery,” said Cheryl Sutterfield-Jones, President and CEO of the Frontiers of Flight Museum. “Our partnership with Virgin America is instrumental to our mission of inspiring students of all backgrounds to excel in science, technology, engineering, and math.”

As Dallas Love Field’s latest resident, Virgin America offers its guests sleek, tech-forward aircraft cabins with custom-designed seating, fleetwide WiFi, signature moodlighting, power outlets near every seat and the unparalleled Red® in-flight entertainment system. In addition to a Main Cabin that offers custom-designed leather seating with a deeper, more comfortable pitch, Virgin America's First Class cabin offers plush white leather ‘cradle sleeper’ seating with 55 inches of pitch, 165 degrees of recline and lumbar massagers.  The carrier's Main Cabin Select service offers 38 inches of pitch, free food and cocktails, an all-access pass to media content, dedicated overhead bins and priority check-in/boarding. The Red in-flight entertainment platform offers guests their own seatback touch-screen TV, with more than 25 films, live TV, interactive Google Maps, videogames, a 3,000 song library and an on-demand menu, which allows flyers to order a cocktail or snack from their seatback any time during a flight.

Since its 2007 launch, Virgin America has created more than 2,800 new jobs and expanded its network to include Austin, Boston, Cancun, Chicago, Dallas Love Field, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Los Cabos, Newark, New York (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Orlando, Palm Springs (seasonal), Portland, Puerto Vallarta, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington D.C. (IAD and DCA), Honolulu (as of November 2, 2015) and Kahului, Maui (as of December 3, 2015). 

About the Dallas Frontiers of Flight Museum: The Frontiers of Flight Museum is conveniently located just north of downtown on Lemmon Avenue at the southeast side of Dallas Love Field Airport, north of Mockingbird Lane. Housed in a modern 100,000 square-foot facility, the Museum provides a focal point to explore the history and progress of aviation, as mankind continues to pursue going higher, faster and farther. Hours of operation: Monday – Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: Adults $10; Seniors (65+) $8; Youths/Students (3-17) $7 and children under 3 are free. For more information, visit www.flightmuseum.com

Event blasts off with family-fun festivities featuring kids talking LIVE to an astronaut aboard the International Space Station 

Thanks to the Frontiers of Flight Museum, you don’t have to visit a “galaxy far, far away” to experience the wonders of space exploration, astronomy, see incredible science exhibits or travel inside an inflatable planetarium! Star gazers and space enthusiasts of all ages can now trek over to the family-fun activities at Moon Day 2015. The celebration, which is the biggest annual space exposition in Texas, is set for Saturday, July 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Frontiers of Flight Museum, 6911 Lemmon Ave. Cost is $7-$10 and Museum members and children 3 and under are free. Visit: www.flightmuseum.com.

In 2009, Moon Day was created in Dallas by Frontiers of Flight Museum and the National Space Society of North Texas as an annual event to celebrate space exploration on or near the anniversary of the first Moon landing. The festival is a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) focused space-themed public event, which continues to attract participants across North Texas and beyond.  

 This year, Moon Day will commemorate the 46^th anniversary of the first lunar landing, which took place when Apollo 11 touched down on July 20, 1969.

 “While the anniversary of the first Moon landing serves as a reason to celebrate, the Frontiers of Flight Museum and the National Space Society of North Texas have created an annual event to showcase the present and future of space exploration,” said Bruce Bleakley, Museum Director of the Frontiers of Flight Museum.  “Our extensive content is provided by local and regional space-related organizations, who work—as we do—to inspire new generations to embrace a scientific and technological future.”

Today, Moon Day is a community-wide family-fun event which draws more than 1,000 attendees.

 The celebration draws members of the local space community to showcase their exhibits, lectures and demonstrations for the public, and it offers visitors the chance to experience space in a whole new way. Participants learn not only about space activities, but also about the local resources available to educate and support space-related functions and programming.

 Unique demonstrations and interesting programs aren’t the only attractions at Moon Day 2015. Visitors will enjoy a full day of activities featuring space-related displays from three dozen exhibitors.  Also, the first 200 kids through the door will receive a “Lunar Sample Bag” full of space-related posters, magazines, trading cards, and other items.

Kids Talk Live to International Space Station Crew and meet the first private female space traveler

One of the highlights will be a live question-and-answer session between local students and a member of the crew aboard the International Space Station, asking questions they submitted in advance for consideration.  The session, which is open to the public in the Museum’s Hamilton Family Auditorium, is planned to begin at approximately 11:30 a.m.

Immediately after the question-and-answer with the Space Station, the students and the general public will have a chance to hear a presentation by space traveler Anousheh Ansari, who captured headlines around the world as the first female private space explorer. 

Other programs include 22 classes and lectures in Moon Academy, Lunar University and Teacher Workshops. Students will also be able to construct and launch their own rockets, or even create space art among a variety of interactive activities.

Bleakley explained that visitors who might not feel technically proficient in space topics will still enjoy Moon Day.  “Space exploration is fundamentally a human story, told in art and song, literature and poetry,” he said. “It is the next great chapter in the human story, and everyone can be a part of it in some way.”    

For more information on Moon Day 2015 Presented by the Frontiers of Flight Museum and the National Space Society of North Texas  visit: www.flightmuseum.com  or call (214) 350-3600.

About the Frontiers of Flight Museum

The Frontiers of Flight Museum is conveniently located just north of downtown on Lemmon Avenue at the southeast side of Dallas Love Field Airport, north of Mockingbird Lane. Housed in a modern 100,000- square-foot facility, the Museum provides a focal point to explore the history and progress of aviation, as mankind continues to pursue going higher, faster and farther. Hours of operation: Monday – Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: Adults $10; Seniors (65+) $8; Youths/Students (3-17) $7 and children under 3 are free. For more information, visit www.flightmuseum.com. 

High flying notables joined fellow aviation buffs at the annual Frontiers of Flight Museum Gala on May 16.  This year’s event, themed “Global Colors: Past and Present, was a nod to growth at DFW International Airport and George E. Haddaway Award recipient, Sean Donohue, CEO of DFW International Airport and honorary chair Sam Coats, Vice Chair DFW International Airport Board.

Dallas’ premier aviation event drew more than 500 attendees to celebrate accomplishments in aviation and raised more than $420,000 to support the Museum’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs, reaching more than 10,000 students each year.  

NBC 5 Today Anchor Deborah Ferguson and WBAP Sports Anchor Steve Lamb led the crew as the 2015 Gala emcees, ensuring that all had a fun-filled experience.

The evening lifted off with a special appearance by the Liberty Jump Team, a WWII military style exhibition parachute group of active duty and veterans that honors veterans of all foreign wars. They embarked on a special ops mission in “Dirty 1/2 Dozen,” a short film produced for the 2015 Gala with cameos by Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, Ft. Worth Mayor Betsy Price and former Ft. Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief among other DFW International Airport board members and local business leaders.

Joining the crew as the keynote speaker was Amelia Rose Earhart, president of Fly With Amelia Foundation, and the youngest woman to fly around the world in a single engine aircraft.

The Frontiers of Flight Museum 2015 Gala commemorated DFW International Airport’s service to the North Texas community through its global connection to the world.  During the event, the audience paid tribute to D/FW's Donohue who was recognized for his 28-year career as a leader in the aviation industry and for the significant impact the airport has made to the Dallas-Ft. Worth area since opening 1974

Joining Coats on the Frontiers of Flight Museum 2015 Gala Committee were: Eric Stroud, Hugh McElroy, Cheryl Sutterfield-Jones, Gina Ginsburg, Jess Hall, John Billimek and Heather Dickie.

Coats was particularly interested in using his role as the 2015 Gala chair to help further the Flight Museum’s mission to support education. “One of my primary objectives was to work with the Museum in support of its STEM education initiatives that prepare students for opportunities in aviation and space,” said Coats. Some of those initiatives include:

• A series of recently received grants that have allowed the Museum to expand its educational and outreach programs to over 12,000 students and develop and expand the STEM content and leadership programs for young women.

• Ongoing community sponsorships that support the Museum’s Flight School at Dallas Executive Airport. “This provides high-quality scientific instruction and introduction to career opportunities in the aviation industry to economically underserved children living in Dallas,” says Coats.

 • A successful partnership with Blue Sky Education Foundation and Dallas ISD that introduced a hands-on six-week Science of Flight program last year to fourth and fifth graders in 14 DISD schools. The program has been expanded to 23 DISD schools this year.

The Frontiers of Flight Museum is a learning laboratory using aviation and space flight to encourage and promote student excellence in STEM education. In addition, the Museum has over 30 aircraft from the Wright Flyer to the one-of-a-kind Flying Pancake, the Apollo 7 spacecraft, 11 galleries, and over 35,000 historical artifacts on display. The Living History program features the portrayal of prominent personalities in aviation history who present both on-site and in the community. Visit http://www.flightmuseum.com/.

Tour Features WWII Bomber and Fighter Aircraft; Highlights Interactive Displays and Unique Flying Experiences

The Frontiers of Flight Museum, 6911 Lemmon Ave. at the southeast corner of Love Field Airport, will host an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime flying experience and exhibit next month that’s sure to be a crowd pleaser for the whole family! The museum will feature the Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom Tour in Dallas March 18-22 in honor of our WWII Veterans. The Wings of Freedom Tour, Presented by the Frontiers of Flight Museum, will bring extremely rare bomber and fighter aircraft to North Texas for a local living history exhibit as part of 110-city nationwide tour. Best of all, guests visiting the exhibit at the Frontiers of Flight Museum will not only get a chance to view the interactive display, they will actually have an opportunity to “fly into history” by taking a flight aboard these legendary aircraft.  Visit: http://www.flightmuseum.com/wings-of-freedom/.

Aviation enthusiasts of all ages will be “flying high” when they see the vintage Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress” Nine-O-Nine WWII Heavy Bomber, Consolidated B-24J “Liberator” Witchcraft WWII Heavy Bomber, and the P-51 “Mustang,” known as one of the greatest piston-engine fighters ever built.

This year, back by popular demand is a highly-anticipated added tour attraction for guests at the Frontiers of Flight Museum featuring a special appearance of the Bell UH-1 “Huey” Helicopter. The helicopter was developed by Bell Helicopter to meet the U.S. Army’s requirements for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter in 1952.  It was the first turbine-powered helicopter to enter production for the U.S. military and was used widely in Viet Nam during the 1960s.

The Wings of Freedom Tour at the Frontiers of Flight Museum will offer participants bragging rights to explore these majestic aircraft inside and out and learn more about these unique and rare treasures of aviation history. The B-17 is one of only 10 in flying condition in the United States, and the B-24J is the sole remaining example of its type flying in the world.

Admission to the Museum is $12 for adults and $7 for children under 12 and includes access to up-close viewing and tours through the inside of the aircraft. Some adventurous fans will have an incredible opportunity accomplish one of their “bucket list” goals by actually taking a 30-minute flight aboard these rare aircraft. Flights on either the B-17 or B-24 are $450 per person. Huey flights are $80 for bench and $100 for the front.  P-51 flights are $2,200 for a half hour and $3,200 for a full hour. The P-51 flights give would-be pilots a chance to get some “stick time” in the world’s greatest piston-engine fighter!

The Wings of Freedom Tour, Presented by the Frontiers of Flight Museum, will arrive at Dallas Love Field at 1:30 PM on March 18 and will be on display at the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Dallas Love Field until the aircraft depart on March 22. Hours of ground tours and display are: 2:00 PM through 4:30 PM on Wednesday, March 18; 10:00 AM through 4:30 PM Thursday, March 19 through Sunday, March 22. The 30-minute flight experiences are normally scheduled before and after the ground tour times above.

For more information call: 214-350-3600; email info@flightmuseum.com; or visit www.flightmuseum.com. To Reserve a Flight Experience call the Collings Foundation: 1-800-568-8924.