NATIONAL AVIATION DAY

Air flight has become an integral aspect of our transportation system. With that in mind, you have to be amazed by the advancements made over the last century that make flying people and freight around the world commonplace. In the overall scope of history, it really hasn't been that long since the Wright brothers visited Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1903 to launch the first successful airplane.

For NATIONAL AVIATION DAY, The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, thanks to a sponsorship from Delta Air Lines, is providing FREE admission on Sunday, September 18, 2019. The museum which is home to a variety of original and reproduced aircraft highlighting advancements in flight during the early to mid-20th Century is open from 9:30 am - 5:00 pm. The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation is located in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan (also hometown of Ford Motor Company's world headquarters) at 20900 Oakwood Blvd.  While there, visitors can also explore the temporary Star Trek exhibit that is at the museum for a limited time engagement at no additional charge.

Admission to the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation is normally $25 (Adults), $22 (Seniors) and $18 (Children) so NATIONAL AVIATION DAY is a good opportunity to really save some money when it comes to having a family outing there. Please note free admission does not apply to the attached Greenfield Village which will be charged to visitors on NATIONAL AVIATION DAY. Ticket prices for Greenfield Village are $28 (Adults), $25.25 (Seniors) and $21 (Children).

If you want to pay extra to visit Greenfield Village, there will be special activities revolving around the Wright Brothers as well as special access to their rarely seen private offices which normally are off limits to the public. Henry Ford purchased Orville and Wilbur Wright's bicycle shop (where they designed and manufactured the plane they flew in Kitty Hawk) and the home which they lived in their entire lives. These two buildings were transported from Dayton, Ohio to Greenfield Village in 1938 to be maintained and restored for future generations to appreciate. Historians will be stationed at both buildings on National Aviation Day to discuss the Wilbur brothers contributions to the development of airplanes and provide insight into these historic sites that have been relocated to Greenfield Village.

For those who just want to stick to Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, there is still a lot to see for National Aviation Day. The entire museum is open to explore for FREE. You won't want to miss the Heroes of the Sky gallery, especially if you are visiting on National Aviation Day.  There are more than a dozen planes to see!

View a replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer. Take a look at the 1909 Bleriot XI which was the first aircraft to cross the English Channel. Check out a 1926 Fokker Trimotor which was the first plane to fly to the North Pole. Following his success with the Model T, Henry Ford designed a plane meant to be sold to the masses, the 1926 Ford Flivver, which never took off with consumers and Charles Lindbergh called the worst plane he ever flew is also on display.

There is also a replica of Lindbergh's Spirt of St. Louis aircraft that he flew the first trans-Atlantic solo flight in and a display honoring aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. See an actual barnstormer plane that toured the country in the 1920s delighting crowds with death defying aerobatics. There are also a number of passenger planes to view including a Northwest Airlines DC-3 which was the first commercial aircraft to make a profit by solely carrying passengers to destinations. The DC-3 opened the door to the commercial air travel we know today.

Fly over to The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation to take advantage of FREE admission for National Aviation Day courtesy of Delta Air Lines. For more information, head over to thehenryford.org