Special programs, extended hours, and close-up views of the Blues while the Navy flight demonstration is based at the Museum for Seafair air show


SEATTLE, July 21, 2010--The world-famous U.S. Navy Blue Angels F/A-18 flight demonstration team star in the Boeing Air Show at Seafair's Albert Lee Cup hydroplane races on Aug. 7-8. The Museum of Flight is again Blue Angels' headquarters during the team's entire Seafair stay. Blue Angels family activities will be featured all week, with events inside and outside of the Museum. The Museum hours will be extended--opening one hour earlier--Friday Aug. 6 through Sunday, August 8 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Indoor programs are free with Museum admission.


Aug. 3: The Blue Angels arrive at Boeing Field mid-afternoon.
Aug. 4: Media flights in aircraft Number 7 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Aug. 5: Air show practice flights from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Aug. 6: Practice flights from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Aug. 7-8 weekend: The team departs for the air show at 1 p.m.; team returns at 2:30 p.m.

Museum visitors will be able see the jets up close from Thursday, Aug. 5 through Sunday, August 8. Activities include the team's precise pre-flight walkdowns, thrilling formation takeoffs and the chance to see some of the Navy's finest pilots as they return from their practice sessions and show performances.

Parking Lot Concessions
Aug. 5-8, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Visitors will be able to buy the latest Blue Angel hats, tee shirts and other souvenirs from the Museum store without missing any of the action outside. The Museum's McCormick and Schmick's Wings Café will be serving beverages and hot dogs. Meet SR-71 Blackbird pilot Brian Shul. Shul will be selling copies of his popular book, "Sled Driver."

Bank of America Weekend Family Workshop - "Blue Angels Mania!"
August 6, 7, 8, noon to 3 p.m., Side Gallery
The Museum's education staff will be offering engaging family activities that include making Blue Angels souvenirs.

"Sled Driver" - Lecture & Book Signing with Blackbird Pilot Brian Shul
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Aug. 6-8, 2 p.m., William M. Allen Theater
Photographer, author, pilot and showman Brian Shul shares stories and photos from his experience as a "sled driver"--an SR-71 Blackbird pilot. The presentation is based upon his book, "Sled Driver," which features Shul's dazzling photography and insightful prose to illustrate what it is like to fly the world's fastest jet, the SR-71 Blackbird. Shul's program includes riveting accounts of Mach 3 runs over hostile territory and star gazing at 80,000 feet. This marks the 18th year Shul has appeared at the Museum during Blue Angels week. Shul has also traveled the air show circuit with the Blue Angels for his book "Blue Angels: A Portrait of Gold." The program is free with admission to the Museum.

Image: Blue Angels fan at the controls of Museum's flight simulator. Museum of Flight photo.

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The non-profit Museum of Flight is one of the largest independent air and space museums in the world. The Museum's collection includes more than 150 historically significant air- and spacecraft, as well as the William E. Boeing Red Barn® - the original manufacturing facility of the Boeing Co. The J. Elroy McCaw Personal Courage Wing displays 28 World War I and World War II aircraft from the United States and other countries including Germany, Russia, and Japan. Over 30 aircraft representing the first century of aviation are displayed in the all-glass T.A. Wilson Great Gallery. The evolution of space flight and a look into the future are presented in the exhibit, Space: Exploring the New Frontier. The Airpark includes outdoor displays including the first jet Air Force One, a supersonic Concorde airliner and the prototype Boeing 747 jumbo jet. Interactive displays in The Flight Zone provide educational and entertaining activities for young children. The Museum's aeronautical library and archival holdings are the largest on the West Coast. More than 140,000 students are served annually by the Museum's on-site and outreach educational programs--the most extensive museum-based youth aviation and space education program in the country. The Museum is the only air and space museum in Washington State that is both nationally accredited with the American Association of Museums and a Smithsonian affiliate.

The Museum of Flight is located at 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle, Exit 158 off Interstate 5 on Boeing Field half-way between downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport. The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for active military, $8 for youth 5 to 17, and free for children under 5. Group rates are available. Admission on the first Thursday of the month is free from 5 to 9 p.m. courtesy of Wells Fargo. For general Museum information, please call 206-764-5720 or visit www.museumofflight.org.
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