Thomas W. Haas Donates $10 Million To New General Aviation 'We All Fly' Gallery

By Maxine Scheer

The world's most visited museum is the Smithsonianís National Air and Space Museum (NASM), located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Over the next seven years, while NASM remains open, it will be undergoing its grandest transformation since opening in 1976.

During AirVenture 2018, Dr. Ellen Stofan, the new John and Adrienne Mars Director of NASM, made her first visit to Oshkosh to announce plans for one of the new galleries. The museum recently received a $10 million gift from the Thomas W. Haas Foundation for the first exhibition at the museum in more than four decades to be dedicated exclusively to general aviation, to be named the "Thomas W. Haas, We All Fly" gallery.

A clue to one of the new gallery's exhibits was described as "double-parked" outside of EAA press headquarters, Sean D. Tucker's Oracle Challenger III high-performance aircraft. Dr. Stofan described Challenger III's final tie down spot - the entrance of the "We All Fly" gallery.

"The generous support from Tom Haas and the exciting addition to our collection of the Oracle Challenger III will celebrate the scope of general aviation and how it affects our daily lives," said Dr. Stofan. "We need to widen, not winnow, the field of aviators and not limit it to a privileged few."

Dr. Stofan described her excitement and awe visiting AirVenture, "I am grateful to EAA for providing this venue to celebrate the freedom of flight and hope the museum can capture a fraction of the excitement here in Oshkosh."

Alongside Dr. Stofan were other members of the Smithsonian team, including Dorothy Cochrane. Ms. Cochrane curates the collections of general aviation aircraft, flight materiel (specifically personal, business and utility production aircraft), aerial cameras and the history of general aviation and women in aviation. She described the new Gallery as an opportunity of a lifetime, turning decades of participation in Oshkosh, airshows and other general aviation events into a gallery that celebrates the depth and breadth of general aviation.

"The new gallery specifically targets the next generation," said Cochrane. "The aviation career pathways will be interactive and museum outreach will extend reach beyond gallery walls." She also described goals of connecting the public to the wide range of aviation activities at their local airport, such as extensive humanitarian missions, and to discover ways to keep up with what is going on with the industry.

Sean Tucker closed the conference and congratulated participants. "This is a culmination of my life's work and decades of Dorothy's life work. The new NASM Director is thinking out of the box on how to interact with the public." Tucker went on to share his thoughts on the importance of igniting the aviation passion. "Kids are our future. It doesnít matter the color of one's skin, if they are rich or poor, we all deserve to fly our dreams. To be able to dance in the sky and touch people, inspires me every day."

Ellen R. Stofan joined the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum as the John and Adrienne Mars Director in April 2018. Dr. Stofan comes to the position with more than 25 years' experience in space-related organizations and a deep research background in planetary geology. She was chief scientist at NASA (2013-2016), helped guide the development of a long-range plan to get humans to Mars, and worked on strategies for NASA to support commercial activity in low Earth orbit as it transitions from the International Space Station to sending humans to the moon and Mars in the mid-2020s.

Since the 1970s, Sean D. Tucker has proven himself as a legend in aerobatic flight having flown more than 1,300 performances. In 2003, Tucker was named one of 25 Living Legends of Flight by the National Air and Space Museum, and in 2008, he was enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame. For the past eight years, Tucker has flown the Oracle Challenger III, a custom-built biplane that uses the latest advancements in technology from aerobatic performance airplanes, drag racing and sailing.

In addition to the Oracle Challenger, aircraft such as a Cessna 180, Gates Learjet and a Cirrus SR22 will be displayed in the "Thomas W. Haas We All Fly" gallery, scheduled to open in 2021.

(Image provided by the author)

FMI: airandspace.si.edu/reimagining-air-and-space