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National Museum of the U.S. Air Force to host 'Plane Talks' and astronaut lecture in September

  • Published
  • By Rob Bardua
  • National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
DAYTON, Ohio --  

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force will offer several free opportunities to hear veterans and guest speakers describe their first-hand knowledge and experiences during the month of September.

To commemorate the 71st Anniversary of the U.S. Air Force, the museum will host “Plane Talks” on Sept. 18 from 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Included among the veterans scheduled to be on-hand will be 16 pilots, two navigators and two electronics warfare officers, as well as a retired crew chief, engineer, maintainer and structural repairs technician, who have flown on aircraft such as the A-1; AC-130; B-25; B-52; B-58; C-47; C-123; C-124; C-130; C-141; F-4; F-15; F-22; F-89; F-100; F-105; HU-16; KC-97; SR-71; T-39; UH-1P and VC-137C (Air Force One). In addition a former museum curator will speak about the B-24D Liberator exhibit, and a retired Army paratrooper will offer insight into the B-29.

The museum will also host “Plane Talks” on Sept. 21 from 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. to commemorate POW/MIA Recognition Day. This program will take place in the fourth building and will feature former C-141 pilots Col. (Ret.) Jim Blackman and Maj. (Ret.) Don Brown. Blackman has participated in every mission area of the C-141 to include air land operations, inflight refueling, combat airdrop and aeromedical evacuation.  Brown’s career experience includes being a former operations officer, mission coordinator in South East Asia, military aide for the White House and domestic affairs advisor to the President.

Finally, on Sept. 28, former astronaut Terry J. Hart will present “100 Years of Aerospace Engineering,” in the Carney Auditorium at 10 a.m. Hart was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in January 1978. In August 1979, he completed a one-year training and evaluation period, making him eligible for flight assignments on future Space Shuttle crews. He has logged a total of 168 hours in space and was a member of the support crews for STS-1, STS-2, STS-3 and STS-7, and flew as a mission specialist on STS-41C.                                         

These three September programs are free and open to the public. Additional information on these and other upcoming events is available at: https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Upcoming/Calendar/.

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, is the world’s largest military aviation museum. With free admission and parking, the museum features more than 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles and thousands of artifacts amid more than 19 acres of indoor exhibit space. Each year about one million visitors from around the world come to the museum. For more information, visit www.nationalmuseum.af.mil.
                                                                       

NOTE TO PUBLIC: For more information, contact the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at (937) 255-3286.

NOTE TO MEDIA: For more information, contact Rob Bardua at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Public Affairs Division at (937) 255-1386.