Boeing and Bombardier expand new Museum's support from global aviation and aerospace industry leaders including FedEx, Garmin and Lockheed Martin; Museum is located at the Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport (K59) in Atchison, Kan. — birthplace of the world-renowned aviator and first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean
ATCHISON, Kan., Feb. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation is proud to announce Boeing, the world's largest aerospace company, and Bombardier, a global leader in aviation, focused on designing, manufacturing and servicing the world's most exceptional jets for business and defense customers, have come aboard as sponsors of the new Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum.
Boeing and Bombardier expand the museum's support from aviation and aerospace industry leaders including FedEx, Garmin and Lockheed Martin. The new state-of-the-art STEM and history museum located at the Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport (K59) in Atchison, Kan. — Earhart's birthplace — will celebrate its grand opening on Friday, April 14.
"It's a tremendous honor to have the support of aviation leaders like Boeing and Bombardier who continue Amelia's enduring legacy of innovation and share our vision to inspire future generations in the pursuit of flight," said Karen Seaberg, founder and president of the Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation.
The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum will be the first museum to blend interactive STEM and historical storytelling to celebrate Earhart's life as a trailblazing aviator who defied the odds to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
"Amelia's courage and spirit of adventure will inspire the next generation of aviators, explorers and innovators to continue breaking new boundaries in aerospace," said Cheri Carter, vice president of Boeing Global Engagement. "Through this exciting partnership with the new Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum, we are proud to be part of sharing this incredible story and supporting and developing the innovators of the future." Boeing is the world's largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems for customers in more than 150 countries.
"We are thrilled to support the new Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum and believe it will have a great impact on the community through its innovative and educational exhibits — inspiring young people to explore the many exciting possibilities and future career paths available in aviation and aerospace," said Tonya Sudduth, Head of U.S. Strategy, Bombardier. The company has its U.S. headquarters in Wichita, Kan., which includes Bombardier Defense, Flight Test Center, and Service Center. Across the U.S., Bombardier has line maintenance stations, manufacturing facilities, and multiple service centers.
The Museum is also supported by many local and national philanthropic organizations including the Donn Lux Family, the Guy Bromley Trust, the Patterson Family Foundation, the Regnier Family Foundation, the Fly With Amelia Foundation, the Stauffer Jambrosic Foundation, the Sunderland Foundation and the William T. Kemper Foundation, among others. Support from the Atchison, Kan., community includes local employers Amberwell Health, Benedictine College, MGP Ingredients and others.
WORLD'S LAST REMAINING LOCKHEED ELECTRA 10-E
The centerpiece of the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum is "Muriel" — the world's last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E. Named after Earhart's younger sister, Grace Muriel Earhart Morrissey, "Muriel" is identical to the plane Earhart flew on her final flight around the world.
Surrounding "Muriel" are 14 interactive exhibit areas that take visitors on an engaging and educational journey through Earhart's life — from growing up in Atchison, Kan., to the height of her worldwide fame. Among the many Museum experiences, visitors will have the opportunity to:
- Enter a full-scale replica of Muriel's cockpit to experience what it was like to be inside the aircraft described as Earhart's "flying laboratory"
- Explore a digitized version of Amelia's mechanic logbook
- Try on Amelia's various careers (via augmented reality) as a mechanic, nurse, pilot
- and fashion designer
- Go "above the clouds" to explore celestial navigation, radio waves, and atmospheric conditions
- Trace 3D holograms to explore technological advances in aviation
- Pilot a virtual reality flight in Earhart's Lockheed Vega 5B to try navigating the same challenges Earhart faced during her 1932 transatlantic flight
- Vote on theories about what happened to Earhart on her attempt to fly around the world
The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum is designed in partnership with Dimensional Innovations (DI), an award-winning, Kansas-based experience design firm. Each exhibit is carefully outfitted to meet National Curriculum Standards, Kansas Curriculum Content Standards, and Missouri Standards of Learning. Professionally developed Teacher Guides to support field trips are available.
Following the grand opening, the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum will apply to become an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.
ABOUT THE ATCHISON AMELIA EARHART FOUNDATION The Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation was formed in 2016 to honor the world-renowned aviation legacy of Amelia Earhart — whose dreams of flying began in her Atchison, Kan., hometown. The Foundation is dedicated to inspiring future aviation and aerospace leaders through the story of Amelia Earhart's tenacity and determination to overcome obstacles on her journey to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to leading the capital campaign to build the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum, the Foundation led the effort to bring the bronze statue of Amelia Earhart to the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., to represent the State of Kansas in National Statuary Hall; the Foundation was the sole funder. A "twin" bronze statue stands at the entrance of the new Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3). To learn more about the new Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum, visit http://www.AmeliaEarhartHangarMuseum.org or follow "AEHangarMuseum" on Facebook,Instagram and Twitter.
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SOURCE Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation
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