We All Fly: General Aviation and the Relevance of Flight Exhibition Theme: General aviation flight is everywhere and affects everyone, whether you fly or not. Exhibition Abstract: What is General Aviation? General aviation is all non‐scheduled civilian and non‐military flight and it is woven into the fabric of modern life. As a result, general aviation provides employment, services and transportation for people, companies, and communities around the world. All aviation was “general” until military and scheduled commercial segments were established. Today, nearly 80% of civil aircraft in the United States operated in a segment of general aviation. General aviation accounts for three out of four flight operations in the United States and the U.S. accounts for over half of all general aviation activity in the world. The freedom to fly in the U.S. is like nowhere else on earth. Personal flying accounts for more than a third of all general aviation hours flown. Corporate and business flying accounts for nearly a quarter, and instructional flying almost a fifth. In 2013, nearly 200,000 general aviation aircraft logged 22.9 million flight hours in the U.S. Aside from the movement of people and cargo, general aviation has a surprising economic impact on local airports and communities and in national and global arenas. General aviation is the training ground for our next generation of pilots and, like any industry, offers multidisciplinary employment opportunities. In the larger cultural and social context, general aviation provided the only opportunity, often hard‐fought, for many to participate in aviation. It served as the proving grounds for women and minorities who then entered all aspects of aerospace when the civil rights and women’s movements finally pushed aside legal and social barriers. Almost from the dawn of aviation, civilian flight offered the romantic ideal of a plane for everyone. Though a noble effort, it has proven elusive and impractical. Instead, flight should be accessible to anyone who wants to pilot an airplane or work in the industry. We All Fly will explore the reality and relevance of general aviation, revealing its pervasive presence in modern society. We All Fly is an integral part of the Revolution in the Sky exhibit package as it explores the practical application of aviation technologies documented in Early Flight and Reinventing Flight and presents modern advances. The broad range of general aviation allows the user to select appropriate construction materials, engines or designs for the mission. Scope, Unit Topics and Discussion of Major Elements in Each Unit Unit 100: Introduction The introduction presents the We All Fly concept and outlines the major units throughout the following gallery themes: What is “General Aviation?” and, broadly speaking, How Does “General Aviation” Affect You? The exhibit units explore these themes through specific segments of general aviation: sport, private, business, public use and utility applications. There are more than 19,000 landing facilities in U.S.; 550 are commercial airports, most of which allow general aviation operations. 3,000 communities of all sizes can only access air transportation via general aviation aircraft. General aviation aircraft carries more than 160 million passengers annually. Of the 3 NASM EPPIC Proposal Revised February 7, 2015 650,000 pilots in the United States, only a small percentage are women and even fewer are members of minority groups; mechanics, dispatchers and other aviation positions have similar lack of diversity. The general aviation community actively seeks all qualified individuals, and advocacy groups are eager to introduce everyone to flight. Unit 200 – Sport Aviation We fly sport aircraft for personal fun or at air shows and competitions. Sub Unit ‐ Airshows, Aerobatics, Air Racing Flight demonstrations and competitions, aka “the spectacle of flight,” are the most familiar portion of general aviation and attract millions of people each year. This section highlights NASM’s prestigious collection of aerobatic and racing planes and complements material in A Nation of Speed. Artifact: Pitts S‐1S Artifact: AEIO 540 modified engine Flight Material: Patty Wagstaff flight suit, routine card Acquire: Sean D. Tucker flight clothing; Racing flight materiel Sub Unit –Homebuilts, Gliders, and Ultralight Aircraft: Aviation started with homebuilt aircraft, gliders, and ultralights. Otto Lilienthal flew hang gliders from 1890 to 1896 and sport pilots still fly this oldest form of practical piloted flight. Gliders have always offered the simplest and least expensive means of getting airborne. Soaring is the art of using sources of lift to fly to high altitudes and distant places. Flying ultralights is one of the purest forms of flight and, in the case of the Cosmos Phase II, an ultralight can even guide endangered whooping cranes to safety. For many years, regulations increasingly restricted homebuilt aircraft construction until the Civil Aeronautics Agency created a permanent ‘experimental, amateur‐built’ category. Today, thanks to innovative designs from Burt Rutan, Jim Bede, and Dick van Grunsven, homebuilders have access to some of the most advanced technology in aviation including composite materials for airframes, glass cockpits, computer‐controlled engines, and the latest aerodynamic refinements. Thanks to advances in the design and marketing of kit planes, homebuilt vendors sell more airplanes than commercial manufacturers. Artifact: Rutan VariEze, aircraft built at home using plans Artifact: Cosmos Phase II, Operation Migration suit and equipment Display: Garage workbench to simulate the homebuilt environment and engage the public Sub Unit ‐The Flying Car or Airplane in Every Garage movement Accessibility to aviation is key to the homebuilt movement and to the continuing search for a marketable flying car. The quest to combine the two great forms of transportation of the 20th century began shortly after the invention of the airplane and continues unabated today. Though several examples exist, none have gone into production. 4 NASM EPPIC Proposal Revised February 7, 2015 Artifact: Fulton Airphibian, the first certificated flying car. Acquire: Model of AeroMobil or Terrafugia Transition, recent entries in the field Sub Unit – Ballooning The first form of manned flight was lighter‐than‐air craft using both hot air and gas balloons. Fueled by early 20th century air meets and scientific projects, modern ballooning enjoys a loyal following. Ballooning records contrast from complex round‐the‐world flights to the simplicity of a lawn chair carried aloft by balloons. Artifact – wicker balloon basket Artifact – Larry Walters’ lawn chair balloon (in process) Artifact – Flight materiel from Double Eagle II Unit 300 – Private Flight and the GA Industry: The Early Years Sub Unit ‐ Beech, Cessna, Piper: Builders of an industry This unit presents the evolution of the civil airplane from experimental designs to practical transportation aircraft. It includes record‐setting pilots and explorers of the Golden Age of Flight, technological milestones (complementing the documentation in Reinventing Flight), economic and social changes, and culminates in the challenges for private flying in the post‐World War II era. Representing the major production companies is the Cessna 180, a highly successful private and utility aircraft and specifically the aircraft in which Jerrie Mock became the first woman to fly around the world in 1964. Artifact: Cessna 180, Spirit of Columbus Artifacts: Flight materiel of Charles Kingsford Smith, Bernt Balchen, Jerrie Mock and others Artifact: appropriate engine, propeller, flight instruments Sub Unit: Reinventing General Aviation Aircraft In 2000, the Cirrus SR22, conceived and produced by Alan and Dale Klapmeier, became the first small general aviation aircraft certified with modern avionics, aka a “glass cockpit.” The success of this four‐seat, single‐engine, all‐composite aircraft with a parachute recovery system and ergonomic interior sparked a revitalization of general aviation design and marketing. In a different vein, the sport pilot license and light sport aircraft category have broadened general aviation access. Both areas seek to engage a new generation of aviation and aerospace participants. Acquire: Cirrus SR22 Acquire: “glass” or computer integrated instrumentation displays/cockpit Sub Unit: Who Flies? 5 NASM EPPIC Proposal Revised February 7, 2015 This unit will explain FAA pilot requirements and regulations and ask the question: Is aviation a reflection of or leader of society? It also addresses related issues such as aviation careers, social responsibility and popular culture. Tomorrow’s pilots start here: Learn to Fly Private flying is the training ground for airline pilots, military pilots, and astronauts Flabob Airport and Education Campus: a future for at‐risk youth and for an airport Build‐A‐Plane collaboration with high schools and technical schools Sub Unit: Local Airports: There is a vigorous conversation about small and medium size or reliever airports: are they a vital part of the local economy or a noisy and dangerous hindrance to the community? This subunit addresses the fear and ignorance about local general aviation operations, emphasizes FAA flight rules, and details the role of an airport as a community resource and partner. Unit 400 ‐ Business Flight Smart phones, computers and tablets, video or telephone conference, e‐mail, message, social media: none has replaced the need to travel