BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 208: (a) Pioneers of Flight, Barron Hilton

DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 208: (a) Pioneers of Flight, Barron Hilton:

Bruce Guthrie Photos Home Page: [Click here] to go to Bruce Guthrie Photos home page.

Recognize anyone? If you recognize specific folks (or other stuff) and I haven't labeled them, please identify them for the world. Click the little pencil icon

underneath the file name (just above the picture). Spammers need not apply.

Slide Show: Want to see the pictures as a slide show? [Slideshow]

Copyrights: All pictures were taken by amateur photographer Bruce Guthrie (me!) who retains copyright on them. Free for non-commercial use with attribution. See the [Creative Commons] definition of what this means. "Photos (c) Bruce Guthrie" is fine for attribution. (Commercial use folks including AI scrapers can of course contact me.) Feel free to use in publications and pages with attribution but you don't have permission to sell the photos themselves. A free copy of any printed publication using any photographs is requested. Descriptive text, if any, is from a mixture of sources, quite frequently from signs at the location or from official web sites; copyrights, if any, are retained by their original owners.

Help? The Medium (Email) links are for screen viewing and emailing. You'll want bigger sizes for printing. [Click here for additional help]

Share: Facebook Twitter Digg
[1] GAL208_190626_004.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[2] GAL208_190626_009.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[3] GAL208_190626_013.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[4] GAL208_190626_017.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[5] GAL208_190626_021.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[6] GAL208_190626_024.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[7] GAL208_190626_026.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[8] GAL208_190626_029.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[9] GAL208_190626_031.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[10] GAL208_190626_033.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[11] GAL208_190626_036.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[12] GAL208_190626_039.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[13] GAL208_190626_041.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[14] GAL208_190626_044.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[15] GAL208_190626_049.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[16] GAL208_190626_052.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[17] GAL208_190626_055.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[18] GAL208_190626_059.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[19] GAL208_190626_061.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[20] GAL208_190626_064.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[21] GAL208_190626_069.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[22] GAL208_190626_072.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[23] GAL208_190626_073.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[24] GAL208_190626_076.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[25] GAL208_190626_078.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[26] GAL208_190626_081.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[27] GAL208_190626_086.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[28] GAL208_190626_087.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[29] GAL208_190626_088.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[30] GAL208_190626_091.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[31] GAL208_190626_095.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[32] GAL208_190626_101.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[33] GAL208_190626_103.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[34] GAL208_190626_106.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[35] GAL208_190626_109.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[36] GAL208_190626_112.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[37] GAL208_190626_117.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[38] GAL208_190626_122.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[39] GAL208_190626_123.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[40] GAL208_190626_128.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[41] GAL208_190626_130.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[42] GAL208_190626_133.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[43] GAL208_190626_135.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[44] GAL208_190626_137.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[45] GAL208_190626_141.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[46] GAL208_190626_155.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[47] GAL208_190626_157.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[48] GAL208_190626_159.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[49] GAL208_190626_162.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[50] GAL208_190626_165.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[51] GAL208_190626_168.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[52] GAL208_190626_170.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[53] GAL208_190626_173.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[54] GAL208_190626_177.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[55] GAL208_190626_181.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[56] GAL208_190626_184.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[57] GAL208_190626_187.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[58] GAL208_190626_191.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[59] GAL208_190626_196.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[60] GAL208_190626_200.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[61] GAL208_190626_203.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[62] GAL208_190626_205.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[63] GAL208_190626_208.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[64] GAL208_190626_210.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[65] GAL208_190626_216.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[66] GAL208_190626_220.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[67] GAL208_190626_223.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[68] GAL208_190626_230.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[69] GAL208_190626_235.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[70] GAL208_190626_237.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[71] GAL208_190626_240.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[72] GAL208_190626_241.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[73] GAL208_190626_244.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[74] GAL208_190626_247.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[75] GAL208_190626_251.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[76] GAL208_190626_257.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[77] GAL208_190626_260.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[78] GAL208_190626_265.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[79] GAL208_190626_270.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[80] GAL208_190626_275.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[81] GAL208_190626_278.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[82] GAL208_190626_281.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[83] GAL208_190626_289.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[84] GAL208_190626_292.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[85] GAL208_190626_296.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[86] GAL208_190626_299.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[87] GAL208_190626_301.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[88] GAL208_190626_303.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[89] GAL208_190626_306.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[90] GAL208_190626_311.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[91] GAL208_190626_319.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[92] GAL208_190626_323.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[93] GAL208_191002_01.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[94] GAL208_191002_02.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[95] GAL208_191002_04.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[96] GAL208_191002_08.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[97] GAL208_191002_14.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)

Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. GAL208_190626_009.JPG: Black Wings The invention of the airplane sparked a revolution in modern technology. In the popular mind, the new air age became associated with adventure and heroism. African Americans shared the widespread enthusiasm for flying, but they found themselves routinely denied access to training as pilots and mechanics. Beginning in the 1920s, a small number of determined black air enthusiasts challenged racial discrimination. With great effort -- and against formidable odds -- they realized their dream to fly.
2. GAL208_190626_013.JPG: Early Pioneers Bessie Coleman became one of the first African Americans to earn a pilot's license and to seek a career in aviation. She was joined by a small but growing number of air enthusiasts who shared her dream. Visionary William J. Powell Jr. wrote the book, Black Wings, and organized a flying club in Los Angeles. James Herman Banning established impressive records as a long-distance flyer. Cornelius Coffey forged a new center for black aviators in Chicago.
3. GAL208_190626_017.JPG: The Pathfinder: Bessie Coleman Coleman broke through the headwinds of racial prejudice as a barnstorming pilot at air shows in the 1920s. As a pilot, Bessie Coleman quickly established a benchmark for her race and gender in the 1920s. She toured the country as a barnstormer, performing aerobatics at air shows. Her flying career, however, proved to be short-lived. She died in a plane crash in 1926, her untimely death coming just a year before Charles Lindbergh made his historic transatlantic flight in the Spirit of St. Louis. For the African American community, Bessie Coleman became an enduring symbol of how a talented and highly motivated person could seek out a career in aviation.
4. GAL208_190626_029.JPG: Why did Bessie Coleman learn to fly in France/ Because of her race, no one would train her in America. So, she learned to speak and write French, traveled to France, and earned her pilot's license. In 1921 she became the first licensed African American pilot.
5. GAL208_190626_033.JPG: The Visionary -- William J. Powell Jr. Powell dreamed of African Americans finding their rightful place in the air age as pilots and mechanics, a vision he called "Black Wings." William J. Powell led a small group of black air enthusiasts in Los Angeles during the 1920s. He established the Bessie Coleman Flying Club and sponsored the first all-black air show. He called for the full participation of African Americans in aviation as pilots, mechanics, and business leaders. To achieve this end, he wrote his visionary book, Black Wings, produced a documentary film, and worked tirelessly to mobilize African American youth for aviation.
6. GAL208_190626_044.JPG: Pilot and businessman William J. Powell wanted to encourage African American boys and girls to fly. He placed this cartoon in his newspaper. What do you think the boy in the cartoon is dreaming about?
7. GAL208_190626_049.JPG: The 1927 silent film The Flying Ace had an all-black cast. A melodrama about military aviation, it debuted at a time when the U.S. Army Air Corps excluded African Americans.
8. GAL208_190626_052.JPG: Heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis (left) with his wife visited Powell's class on aeronautics in 1938. Powell sought out celebrities to promote his flying club.
9. GAL208_190626_055.JPG: A promotional leaflet heralds the publication of Black Wings. Powell aimed to recruit African American youth for work in aviation to end forever the myth that blacks lacked the aptitude to fly and to promote racial harmony.
10. GAL208_190626_059.JPG: Powell produced a film documentary in 1935 showcasing the Bessie Coleman Flying Club, whose members appear in these frames.
11. GAL208_190626_061.JPG: "I thought it was my duty to risk my life to learn aviating, and to encourage men and women of the Race... Did you know you have never lived until you have flown?" -- Bessie Coleman
12. GAL208_190626_069.JPG: Powell's Engineering Tools
13. GAL208_190626_073.JPG: Long Distance Flying -- James Herman Banning Flying from Los Angeles to New York, Banning set a new record for black pilots and paved the way for other pioneering black aviation record setters. Long-distance flying offered a dramatic way for African American pilots to showcase their flying skills. James Herman Banning emerged as one of the most talented barnstorming pilots. In 1932 Banning and Thomas C. Allen completed the first transcontinental flight by black airmen. Banning and other long-distance pilots used their flying exploits to promote airmindedness in the African American community. Each successful flight demonstrated the expanding skills of black pilots and promoted the idea that aviation should be open to all, regardless of race.
14. GAL208_190626_087.JPG: The "Golden Age of Flight" in the 1920s and 1930s gave rise to many aerial spectaculars, such as long-distance flights across continents and oceans.
15. GAL208_190626_095.JPG: The goals of the "goodwill flight" were to show the skill of black aviators and to enhance racial understanding. The trip was full of adventure. The Bahamas did not have an airport for land planes -- the pilots made a daring landing at night on a dirt road lit by automobile headlights, creating a local sensation.
16. GAL208_190626_123.JPG: Flying in Chicago -- Cornelius Coffey The "Golden Age of Flight" in the 1920s and 1930s gave rise to many aerial spectaculars, such as long-distance flights across continents and oceans. During the Great Depression, Chicago rivaled Los Angeles as a center for black aviation with a highly successful flying club for African Americans, led by Coffey. A skilled auto mechanic, Cornelius Coffey dreamed of becoming a pilot. In 1931 he brought together a group of black air enthusiasts to study at the Curtiss-Wright Aeronautical School. Then he helped organize the Challengers Air Pilots' Association to expand flying opportunities for African Americans in Chicago. Excluded from local airfields, they set up their own at Robbins, Illinois. In Chicago, Coffey helped establish training classes, and his School of Aeronautics received a franchise from the Civilian Pilot Training Program. Coffey and his fellow air enthusiasts promoted the flight of Chauncey Spencer and Dale White, who flew from Chicago to Washington, D.C., in 1939 to campaign for an end to racial segregation in aviation.
17. GAL208_190626_133.JPG: Pilot Willa Brown wanted to promote awareness of African American pilots. She invited the editor of the Chicago Defender newspaper to an airshow at the Harlem airport in Chicago. Instead of sending a reporter, he went to the show himself. Brown took him for a thrilling flight in her Piper Cub... a ride he wouldn't soon forget.
18. GAL208_190626_135.JPG: Willa Brown Pioneer aviator Willa Brown played a prominent role in Coffey's Chicago flying club, offering a role model for young African American women. Brown wanted to promote awareness of African Americans pilots. She invited the editor of the Chicago Defender newspaper to an airshow at the Harlem airport in Chicago. Instead of sending a reporter, he went to the show himself. Brown took him for a thrilling flight in her Piper Cub... a ride he wouldn't soon forget.
19. GAL208_190626_137.JPG: Janet Bragg, a nurse in Chicago, became fascinated with flying and joined with Coffey to promote aviation. Her financial backing helped the Chicago flying club purchase its first airplane.
20. GAL208_190626_141.JPG: Aviation toys from the 1930s and 1940s
21. GAL208_190626_155.JPG: Chauncey Spencer's Flight Jacket and Gear Chauncey Spencer's flight jacket and gear were essential for flying in open-cockpit airplanes. In 1939 Spencer completed a celebrated flight from Chicago to New York to Washington, DC, to promote racial equality in civil and military aviation.
22. GAL208_190626_157.JPG: Chauncey Spencer's Flight Jacket and Gear Chauncey Spencer's flight jacket and gear were essential for flying in open-cockpit airplanes. In 1939 Spencer completed a celebrated flight from Chicago to New York to Washington, DC, to promote racial equality in civil and military aviation.
23. GAL208_190626_159.JPG: "The privileges of being an American belong to those brave enough to fight for them." -- Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.
24. GAL208_190626_162.JPG: Tuskegee Airmen -- 1941 – 1945 The Tuskegee Army Air Field became the vital center for training African Americans to fly fighter and bomber aircraft. In 1941, the U. S. Army Air Corps (predecessor to the modern-day U.S. Air Force) was a segregated part of the military. With World War II near at hand, it was decided to offer training to African Americans as pilots and mechanics. The new air base at Tuskegee, Alabama, became the center for the training program of black air personnel. First with the 99th Fighter Squadron and later with the 332nd Fighter Group, African Americans made their contribution to the war effort, serving in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy during the war. Called the "Tuskegee Airmen," these airmen made a pioneering contribution to the war and the subsequent drive to end racial segregation in the American armed forces.
25. GAL208_190626_165.JPG: On The Home Front -- Noel F. Parrish At segregated Tuskegee, Parrish offered inspired leadership for the training of black pilots and airmen. A career Army Air Corps pilot, Noel F. Parrish took a keen interest in promoting black involvement in military aviation. In the late 1930s, he befriended Cornelius Coffey and admired the flying program of his Challengers Air Pilots' Association in Chicago. Lt. Col. Parrish took command of Tuskegee Army Air Field in 1941 and oversaw the training of airmen for black fighter and bomber squadrons. He held that post throughout World War II. Parrish did much to make the Tuskegee program a success. He provided enlightened leadership and promoted high morale among the cadets at a time when the armed forces remained segregated. As base commander, Parrish made sure the program was fair and evenhanded, which enhanced morale among the cadets.
26. GAL208_190626_170.JPG: A 1941 press release announced the first U.S. Army Air Corps flight training program for African Americans at Tuskegee, Alabama.
27. GAL208_190626_173.JPG: Parrish commanded the Tuskegee flight training program from 1941 to 1945, when this photo was taken. Left to right: Col. Noel Parrish, flight instructor Capt. Luke Weathers, Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., and Dr. Frederick D. Patterson, president of Tuskegee Institute.
28. GAL208_190626_177.JPG: The Army Air Corps established Tuskegee Army Air Field in 1941 near Alabama's Tuskegee Institute, which had been a center for training blacks to fly. Although segregated and greeted with hostility by many, the training facility marked a milestone for African Americans. The curriculum was identical to other air training facilities. White officer ran most of the pilot training. As base commander, Parrish made sure the program was fair and evenhanded, which enhanced morale among the cadets.
29. GAL208_190626_181.JPG: Into Combat -- Benjamin O. Davis Jr. Davis led the Tuskegee airmen during World War II in air combat over North Africa and Italy and long-range bomber escort missions over Nazi Germany. The story of the Tuskegee Airmen is linked directly to the life and career of Benjamin O. Davis Jr. The son of an Army general and a 1936 graduate of West Point, Davis was a member of the first class of five cadets to earn their wings at Tuskegee. He was selected to lead the new 99th Pursuit Squadron, the Army Air Corps' first all-black air unit. Davis led the 99th and later the 332nd Fighter Group in Europe during World War II. His inspired and disciplined leadership played a major role in the Tuskegee Airmen's success. Under Davis, the 332nd escorted American bombers in missions over the Mediterranean and central Europe. After the war, Davis continued his military career in the newly independent and integrated U.S. Air Force. He achieved the rank of lieutenant general and played a key leadership role during the Korean and Vietnam wars
30. GAL208_190626_187.JPG: Davis speaks to the pilots and airmen of the 99th Fighting Squadron.
31. GAL208_190626_191.JPG: Seated in the cockpit of his P-51, Davis confers with William R. Thompson (center) and another squadron officer.
32. GAL208_190626_196.JPG: Located on Italy's Adriatic coast, the Ramitelli air base became home for the 332nd Fighter Group in 1944-45. Pilots routinely flew P-51 Mustang fighters in support of the 15th Air Force's strategic bombing campaign. On occasion, they completed long-distance escort missions to Berlin, a 1,600-mile round-trip flight.
33. GAL208_190626_200.JPG: Davis recognizes the milestone of 200 escort missions for the 332nd Fighting Group at Ramitelli Airfield, Italy, in 1945.
34. GAL208_190626_205.JPG: The first class to receive their wings at Tuskegee made up the core of the new 99th Pursuit Squadron. They newly minted fighter pilots stand next to a North American AT-6 trainer. Left to right: Charles S. Roberts, Benjamin O. Davis Jr., Charles H. Debow, Mac Ross, and Lemuel R. Custis.
35. GAL208_190626_208.JPG: Davis married Agatha Jo Scott, a former art student, in 1937. In his autobiography, he described Agatha as the "invaluable base of self-assurance in all my struggles."
36. GAL208_190626_210.JPG: A wartime sketch of the 332nd Fighter Group headquarters in Ramitelli.
37. GAL208_190626_220.JPG: Lou Purnell's Map Pilot Louis Purnell of the 99th Fighter Squadron flew many missions with this silk map. Such portable and durable maps were a key survival aid if a pilot was downed over enemy territory.
38. GAL208_190626_223.JPG: On the eve of a long range mission, pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group assemble their "Escape Kits." These kits typically included a silk map, a phrase book, rations, cigarettes, matches, money, a hack saw blade, soap, and razor.
39. GAL208_190626_230.JPG: The maps we use are usually made of paper, which is light and folds easily for storage. This map, given to airmen, is made of silk. Why? A cloth map would not fall apart if it got wet, and it wouldn't rip or tear as easily as paper. If an airman found himself behind enemy lines, he needed a good map to help him get to safety.
40. GAL208_190626_235.JPG: Lou Purnell's Map Pilot Louis Purnell of the 99th Fighter Squadron flew many missions with this silk map. Such portable and durable maps were a key survival aid if a pilot was downed over enemy territory.
41. GAL208_190626_240.JPG: On the Home Front The Tuskegee Army Air Field became the vital center for training African Americans to fly fighter and bomber aircraft.
42. GAL208_190626_244.JPG: Selling war bonds in the United States during World War II helped control price increases and fund the war. Posters were designed to appeal to people's sense of patriotism and civic duty. This poster features Tuskegee Airman William Diez.
43. GAL208_190626_247.JPG: First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt became an air enthusiast and openly promoted racial equality in the American armed forces. In 1941 she visited Tuskegee Army Airfield and took a brief plane ride with primary flight instructor C. Alfred "Chief" Anderson.
44. GAL208_190626_251.JPG: African Americans, both men and women, worked on the home front in various war industries, such as this aircraft assembly plant.
45. GAL208_190626_257.JPG: Linkwood Williams stands next to his training aircraft. He was one of several talented black aviators who served as instructors for primary flight training.
46. GAL208_190626_260.JPG: As the Tuskegee program expanded, the War Department approved the training of black airmen to fly B-25 Mitchell bombers. World War II ended before the 477th Bombardment Group was assigned to combat.
47. GAL208_190626_265.JPG: A five-man B-25 bomber crew prepares for training flight.
48. GAL208_190626_270.JPG: Armament technicians of the 619th Bombardment Squadron mount a .50 caliber machine gun on a B-25 bomber.
49. GAL208_190626_275.JPG: Into Combat
50. GAL208_190626_278.JPG: Charles Hall Hall was from Brazil, Indiana. He downed an FW-190 while on an escort mission on July 21, 1943. This marked the first air victory for the United States by a black airmen in the European Theater.
51. GAL208_190626_292.JPG: Lieutenant Lee A. Archer A native of New York City, Archer became one of the most proficient pilots in the 332nd, being highly regarded for his skill, aggressiveness, and gallantry in air combat.
52. GAL208_190626_299.JPG: Throughout history symbols have been used to represent organizations, clubs, and military units. Take a look at the squadron patches the Tuskegee Airmen designed and used. What kind of symbols do you see?
53. GAL208_190626_306.JPG: 323nd Fighter Group Patch The distinctive "Spitfire" patch became the 332nd Fighter Group's insignia.
54. GAL208_190626_311.JPG: North American P-51D Mustang Miss Pelt 1/8 scale Clarence "Lucky" Lester flew Miss Pelt as a member of the 100th Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group -- the "Red Tails." On July 8, 1944, he scored three victories on a single mission, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Multi Column: Number of columns of thumbnails to appear per page (normally defaults to 3): [1 col] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
AAA "Gem": AAA considers this location to be a "must see" point of interest. To see pictures of other areas that AAA considers to be Gems, click here.
Description of Subject Matter: Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight Gallery
November 19, 2010 – October 15, 2019
This renovated exhibition highlights the growth of aviation and rocketry during the 1920s and '30s and features famous "firsts" and record setters. It has been updated with new research and includes a broader selection of artifacts. The individuals featured were pioneering men and women who pushed the existing technological limits of flight and broke both physical and psychological barriers to flight. The exhibition features sections on "Military Aviation," "Civilian Aviation," "Black Wings," and "Rocket Pioneers." To engage children, the gallery features hands-on activities, as well as toys, books, and childhood memorabilia of the era in an area entitled "Don's Air Service."
Highlights include:
* Anne Lindbergh's telegraph key
* Jimmy Doolittle's "blind flight" instruments
* Tuskegee Airman Chauncey Spencer's flight suit
* The "Hoopskirt" rocket test stand
* Lindbergh memorabilia
* Gifts received by the crew of the Douglas World Cruiser
* Kiosk featuring archival film clips
Aircraft on view include:
* Wright EX Vin Fiz biplane: flown by Cal Rogers as the first pilot to make a transcontinental flight in fewer than 30 days, 1911
* Fokker T-2: first nonstop U.S. transcontinental flight, 1923
* Douglas World Cruiser Chicago: first around-the-world flight, 1924
* Lockheed 5B Vega: flown by Amelia Earhart in the first solo flight across the Atlantic by a woman, 1932
* Lockheed 8 Sirius: flown by the Lindberghs on airline-route mapping flights, 1930s
* Curtiss R3C-2 Racer
* The gondola from the Bud Light Spirit of Freedom, the first balloon to carry one person—Steve Fossett —nonstop around the world
* 1/4-scale model of the Montgolfier balloon: 1st manned aerial vehicle, 1783
Bigger photos? To save server space, the full-sized versions of these images have either not been loaded to the server or have been removed from the server. (Only some pages are loaded with full-sized images and those usually get removed after three months.) I still have them though. If you want me to email them to you, please send an email to guthrie.bruce@gmail.com and I can email them to you, or, depending on the number of images, just repost the page again will the full-sized images.
Directly Related Pages: Other pages with content (DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 208: (a) Pioneers of Flight, Barron Hilton) directly related to this one: [Display ALL photos on one page]:
- 2023_DC_SIAIR_Gall208A: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 208: (a) Pioneers of Flight, Barron Hilton (1 photo from 2023)
- 2022_DC_SIAIR_Gall208A: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 208: (a) Pioneers of Flight, Barron Hilton (3 photos from 2022)
- 2012_DC_SIAIR_Gall208A: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 208: (a) Pioneers of Flight, Barron Hilton (17 photos from 2012)
- 2010_DC_SIAIR_Gall208A: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 208: (a) Pioneers of Flight, Barron Hilton (62 photos from 2010)
- 2009_DC_SIAIR_Gall208A: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 208: (a) Pioneers of Flight, Barron Hilton (3 photos from 2009)
- 2005_DC_SIAIR_Gall208A: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 208: (a) Pioneers of Flight, Barron Hilton (15 photos from 2005)
- 2003_DC_SIAIR_Gall208A: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 208: (a) Pioneers of Flight, Barron Hilton (1 photo from 2003)
- 1997_DC_SIAIR_Gall208A: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 208: (a) Pioneers of Flight, Barron Hilton (3 photos from 1997)
Same Subject: Click on this link to see coverage of items having the same subject: [(Smithsonian) Air and Space Museum (Everything)] [(Smithsonian) Air and Space Museum (Non-Events)] [Museums (History)]
2019 photos: Equipment this year: I continued to use my Fuji XS-1 cameras but, depending on the event, I also used a Nikon D7000. Trips this year: a four-day jaunt to Massachusetts (Boston, Stockbridge, and Springfield) to experience rain in another state, Asheville, NC to visit Dad and his wife Dixie, four trips to New York City (including the United Nations, Flushing, and the New York Comic-Con), and my 14th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con (including sites in Utah). Number of photos taken this year: about 582,000.
Connection Not Secure messages? Those warnings you get from your browser about this site not having secure connections worry some people. This means this site does not have SSL installed (the link is http:, not https:). That's bad if you're entering credit card numbers, passwords, or other personal information. But this site doesn't collect any personal information so SSL is not necessary. Life's good!
Limiting Text: You can turn off all of this text by clicking this link: [Thumbnails Only]
Photo Contact: [Email Bruce Guthrie].