Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts. The Future of Flight Aviation Center &Boeing Tour, Snohomish County’s newest tourism treasure, is ready for take-off.
After years of planning and with a compass set toward financial stability, the runway is clear and and this Paine Field jewel is poised for a rapid ascent.
Showcasing the aptly named Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the new museum is a dream come true for aviation enthusiasts. However, you don’t have to be a fan of Wilbur and Orville Wright or even George and Jane Jetson to appreciate this experience. The attention to detail borders on Disneyesque, with creative touches and state-of-the-art technology sharing the venue with enormous composite airplane parts, an astonishingly huge vertical tail fin from a Boeing 747 and a full-size, remarkably expensive jet engine.
Although work inside the museum was far from finished during our preview walk-about, it was easy to imagine the place bustling with school groups, international tourists and delegations receiving delivery of the finest commercial aircraft built in the world today.
A solid financial plan has been the underpinning of this public-private project, a partnership between the Snohomish County Public Facilities District, Snohomish County Airport, the Boeing Co. and the Future of Flight Foundation. Capitalizing on the state sales-tax rebate that helped bring us the Everett Events Center, the Lynnwood Convention Center and the Edmonds Performing Arts Center, the facility will also house Snohomish County’s No. 1 tourist attraction, the Boeing Tour. Despite its weekday-only offering, more than 100,000 visitors line up to take the popular Boeing Tour each year. The newly revamped experience and extended hours should easily double that number.
Given the careful, demanding planning that has gone into the $23.5 million project, it should have no trouble staying in the black. Multiple revenue sources – including ticket sales, two gift shops, a cafe, and room rentals for meetings, reunions, retirements, you name it – should keep the dollars rolling in.
There’s plenty here to draw them. This is a place to bring your imagination for a little inspiration. Interactive exhibits, a multi-passenger XJ5 flight simulator and a peak at the future of in-flight entertainment are just a few of the tactile elements of the experience.
Tourists from around the world will soon know what most of us have selfishly guarded as our little secret: Snohomish County is one of the most picturesque places on the planet. Framed by two of Washington’s most spectacular mountains, even a snowy, overcast morning couldn’t mask the dynamic site. Pair the view with the astonishing proximity to a working runway at Paine Field and the experience becomes even more extraordinary. Even a bit of unforeseen turbulence that delayed the grand opening isn’t enough to dampen the enthusiasm for this venture.
Don’t wait for Aunt Edna and Uncle Harley to fly in from Topeka before you schedule a visit. Make plans to tour the Future of Flight Museum soon – before you have to stand in line with the sightseers next summer.
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