The “America by Air” gallery of the National Air & Space Museum, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., will be “transformed” thanks to $28 million in gifts from nine airlines, museum officials have announced. “The generous contribution by the airlines not only signals their commitment to the storied history of air travel, but to inspiring young people to pursue careers in aviation and engineering,” said Gen. J.R. “Jack” Dailey, director of the museum. “These gifts help launch the museum on a trajectory to realizing the transformation of this important place.” The gallery is scheduled to close later this year, and the newly renovated gallery will open in approximately 2021. The visitor experience will be improved through a refreshed layout with new design and graphics, new interactive exhibits and better accessibility throughout, the museum said.
“America by Air” is one of the three main halls at the museum’s flagship building on the National Mall. Through exhibits that include aircraft as well as artifacts such as uniforms, models and engines, the gallery traces the history of commercial aviation in the United States. The exhibits explore how improvements in technology have revolutionized air travel and how the flying experience has changed. The gallery highlights include a Douglas DC-3, the nose of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet that visitors can enter, a Ford 5-AT Tri-Motor and a Douglas DC-7. Most visitor favorites will remain in the gallery, and new features will be added, including the Lincoln-Standard H.S. and the Huff-Daland Duster, which are currently on display at the museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. The contributing airlines are: Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit and United.
