The Museum of Flight: The Montgolifer Balloon

Greetings!,   Over two hundred years ago in France, balloons designed by brothers Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier were the first craft to take passengers into the sky. Recently, 83-year-old craftsman Alex "Sandy" Morton painstakingly designed and built a 1/10th scale model-seven feet tall-of the Montgolfier's 1783 passenger-carrying balloon for The Museum of Flight. Morton will be at the Museum on Sept. 5 in a program telling the early history of ballooning and how he spent 900 hours making his museum-quality model. After the program he will conduct a personal "tip-to-tail" tour of the model balloon which now hangs on display in the Museum's lobby. The program is at 2 p.m. in the William M. Allen Theater, and is free with admission to the Museum. More information...   This is the final week to see the exhibit "Apollo 11: An Artist's Perspective--Original Sketches from NASA Artist Paul Calle." The exhibit showcases Calle's work surrounding Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle flights.   The Museum of Flight is a nominee for Evening Magazine's Best of Western Washington "Best Museum" category. Click here to vote!   Dream, Discover, Soar!   Sincerely, The Museum of Flight   September 2009 Wells Fargo Free First Thursday Thursday, Sept. 3, 5 - 9 p.m. Once a month, the Museum stays open late--for free! Enjoy Museum exhibits and more from 5 - 9 p.m., courtesy of Wells Fargo. Museum Store and Wings Cafe will remain open for the extended hours.     The Montgolfier Balloon Takes Flight Saturday, Sept. 5, 2 p.m., Allen Theater Seattle craftsman and model maker Sandy Morton painstakingly designed and built a 1/10th scale model-seven feet tall-of the Montgolfier brothers' 1783 passenger-carrying balloon. Learn about the Montgolfiers' quest for flight and how Morton created a museum-quality model.    Lockheed C-130 Tours Saturday, Sept. 12, 10 a.m - 5 p.m., East Parking Lot Mission permitting, a 39th Airlift Squadron Lockheed C-130 will be open to the public for tours.   39th Airlift Squadron Panel Saturday, Sept. 12, 2 p.m., Allen Theater The 39th Airlift Squadron, it is one of the few World War II squadrons of any kind that is still active today.  Veteran airlift pilots and crew members will share exciting stories and photos from the Vietnam era to the present.     Royal Aeronautical Society: "Defying Gravity and the Odds--The Unlikely Story of the Boeing X-32B Joint Strike Fighter Tuesday, Sept. 15, 6 p.m., Allen Theater Dennis O'Donoghue, Vice President of Boeing Company Flight Test, will describe the quest to build the first supersonic, short takeoff and vertical landing, stealth fighter.     The Concorde Supersonic Jetliner: 40 Years of History Saturday, Sept. 19, 2 p.m. Allen Theater Former British Airways Concorde Captains Peter Duffey and John Hutchinson share their supersonic experiences.    Explorer Lecture: Astronaut Gregory C. Johnson Wednesday, Sept. 23, 7 p.m., Allen Theater In May 2009, astronaut and Seattle-native Gregory C. Johnson brought a Museum patch with him on space shuttle mission STS-125 to the Hubble Space Telescope. Johnson will return the patch and talk about the mission that extended the life of Hubble for another 5-10 years. Admission is $5 for Museum Members, $10 for general admission.   Smithsonian Museum Day Saturday, Sept. 26, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Museum will participate in the 5th annual Museum Day, presented by Smithsonian magazine. Attendees must present the magazine's Museum Day admission card to gain free entry to participating institutions. Admission card is available in September 2009 issue of Smithsonian magazine or by visiting Smithsonian.com and downloading the Museum Day admission card.    Hispanic Heritage Month Program with Senior Curator Dan Hagedorn Saturday, Sept. 26, 2 p.m., Allen Theater The Museum pays tribute to the rich legacy of Latin American women pilots and aviation pioneers in "Pilotas y Pioneros," a program with by Museum Senior Curator, Dan Hagedorn. Scheduled Events SEPTEMBER 2009       Bank of America Weekend Family Workshops:   Saturdays and Sundays 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.    Flying Strawcers Sept. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 and 27   Learn about rocketry in the 21st century and new ideas of exploring our solar system. Then try your hand at designing your own air-powered "space ship."   CONTACT INFORMATION The Museum of Flight 206.764.5720 email   Membership 206.764.5711, email Volunteering 206.768.7179, email Giving 206.768.7162, email Education 206.768.7116,  email     Museum Store 206.764.5704