Future of Flight &Boeing Tour offers families fun, education

The 73,000-square-foot Future of Flight Aviation Center &Boeing Tour facility is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most popular attractions for families and tourists. It’s entertaining and educational, providing a look at a section of a new composite Boeing 787 airliner, jet engines, the history of commercial airliner aviation in videos, computer programs for designing visitors’ own airplanes and a look at tomorrow’s airliner industry.

Along with hands-on aviation displays, the facility offers the only public tour in North America of an airliner assembly plant, Boeing’s Everett facility, where the 747, 767, 777 and 787 are being created.

Spend the day, enjoy the 28,000-square-foot aviation display area, the on-site restaurant, roof views of aircraft activity on Paine Field’s main runway and browsing the Future of Flight and Boeing stores for Northwest crafts and everything from model airplanes to flight jackets.

Entering the Future of Flight Center in a large lobby area, visitors overlook the main exhibit gallery, where a variety of aircraft are suspended from the ceiling and more exhibits fill the floor with things to see, do and enjoy, including sitting in the cockpit of a Boeing 727 jetliner or a mock-up of a 787 Dreamliner interior. For more information, go online to www.futureofflight.org.

Paul Allen warbird exhibit scheduled for June 6 opening

Take a drive past the 1950s Paine Field hangar that will soon become the new home of billionaire Paul Allen’s Flying Heritage Collection, assembled at the cost of millions of dollars for aircraft recovery, pristine restoration to flying condition and the creation of a new Northwest air museum for famous World War II warbirds from several countries. Previously at Arlington Airport for three years, the collection is now located near the southern end of Paine Field’s main runway, by the fire station. It can be reached by accessing Paine Field at its 112th Street SW entrance off Airport Road.

The grand opening on June 6 is close at hand, displaying aircraft noted not only for their combat roles during the war but also for each one’s significant technological advances in the world of aviation. Planes on display will include the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc, Polikarpov I-16, Curtiss JN-4D Jenny, North American P-51D Mustang, Polikarpov U-2/PO-2, Curtiss P-40C Tomahawk, Fieseler Fi 156-C2 Storch, Mitsubishi A6M3-22 Zero-Sen, Messerschmitt Bf 109E-3 Emil, Hawker Hurricane Mk.XIIb, Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, Grumman F6F Hellcat, Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa Oscar, Messerschmitt 163B Komet and Focke Wulf Fw 190D-13 Dora.

The Flying Heritage Collection is a premier aviation attraction, with something of interest for visitors of all ages. Advanced tickets will go on sale online May 22. After the June 6 grand opening, tickets also can be purchased at the air museum. For more information, go online to www.flyingheritage.com and sign up for the FHC newsletter.

NW EAA Fly-In and air show set for July 9-13 in Arlington

The 40th annual Northwest EAA Fly-In is set for July 9 through 13 at Arlington Airport, featuring aircraft exhibits, air shows and aviation exhibitor booths.

Discounted advance tickets are available this year on the fly-in’s web site, www.arlingtonflyin.org.

The largest general aviation event on the West Coast, and the third-largest nationally, the Arlington event will feature vintage military planes flown by the Cascade Warbirds, the largest Northwest display of World War II military vehicles, uniforms and equipment, and a variety of events.

The five-day aviation show regularly draws more than 50,000 people, including hundreds of planes that fly in from the Northwest and beyond to attend.