The Museum celebrates the first around-the-world flight on its 100th anniversary with an awesome display of aircraft. Meet the pilots and go on special tours of the aircraft.

Some activities are FREE to the public and some require Membership, Museum admission or a separate purchase. See the schedules below for details. 

Event Details:

Thursday, September 26 – Sunday, September 29, 2024
10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Saturday, September 28, the aircraft will takeoff to fly over the First World Flight Centennial event at Magnuson Park, and will then return to The Museum of Flight. Meet and greets and tours of the aircraft in the parking lot will not be available this day. See the schedule below for the full list of activities. 

Schedules:

  • 10:00 AM – 5:00PM
    • Adventure aircraft and vintage aircraft on display (East Parking Lot — Open to the public. See full list below.)
    • Meet and greet adventure pilots (East Parking Lot — Open to the public. See full list below)
  • 11:00 AM
    • Docent Tour
      • Tour focus on artifacts that highlight record-breaking, around-the-world and award-winning flights. (Included with Membership & Museum admission.)
  • 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
  • 1:00 PM
    • Quonset Hut Storytelling
      • "The Oscars of Aviation: The Collier Trophy” (In the Personal Courage Wing — Included with Membership & Museum admission.)
  • 1:30 PM
    • Docent Tour
      • Tour focus on artifacts that highlight record-breaking, around-the-world and award-winning flights. (Included with Membership & Museum admission.)
  •  2:00 PM to 3:15 PM | Adventure Pilot Talks | Great Gallery
    • 2:00 PM to 2:15 PM | Pilot Ed Galkin, Cessna 201 Centurian
    • 2:30 PM to 2:45 PM | Co-PIC Carol Foy, Mooney M20J
    • 3:00 PM to 3:15 PM | Pilot CarolAnn Garratt, Mooney M20J
  • 10:00 AM – 5:00PM
    • Adventure aircraft and vintage aircraft on display (East Parking Lot — Open to the public. See full list below)
    • Meet and greet adventure pilots (East Parking Lot — Open to the public. See full list below)
  • 11:00 AM
    • Docent Tour
      • Tour focus on artifacts that highlight record-breaking, around-the-world and award-winning flights. (Included with Membership & Museum admission.)
  • 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
  • 1:00 PM
    • Docent Tour
      • "Blackbird Tales" under the Blackbird (Included with Membership & Museum admission.)
  • 1:30 PM
    • Docent Tour
      • Tour focus on artifacts that highlight record-breaking, around-the-world and award-winning flights. (Included with Membership & Museum admission.)
  •  2:00 PM to 2:45 PM | Adventure Pilot Talks | Great Gallery
    • 2:00 PM to 2:15 PM | Pilot Patrick Elliot and Partner Linda Walker, Long-EZ
    • 2:30 PM to 2:45 PM | Pilot Bill Harrelson, Lancair IV (homebuilt)
  • 3:00 PM
    • "100th Anniversary, First World Flight" talk with Bob Dempster (William M. Allen Theater — Included with Membership & Museum admission.)
  • 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
    • Adventure aircraft and vintage aircraft takeoffs
      • These aircraft will takeoff to fly over the Centennial event at Magnuson Park, and will then return to The Museum of Flight. The Museum of Flight will have an information booth at this event! More information on this event here: www.firstworldflightcentennial.org
  • 11:00 AM
    • Docent Tour
      • Tour focus on artifacts that highlight record-breaking, around-the-world and award-winning flights. (Included with Membership & Museum admission.)
  • 2:00 PM
    • "100th Anniversary, First World Flight" talk with Bob Dempster (William M. Allen Theater — Included with Membership & Museum admission.)
  • 10:00 AM – 2:00PM
    • Adventure aircraft and vintage aircraft on display (East Parking Lot — Open to the public. See full list below)
    • Meet and greet adventure pilots (East Parking Lot — Open to the public. See full list below)
  • 11:00 AM
    • Docent Tour
      • Tour focus on artifacts that highlight record-breaking, around-the-world and award-winning flights. (Included with Membership & Museum admission.)
  • 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
  • 1:00 PM
    • Quonset Hut Storytelling
      • “Around the World in 175 Days" (In the Personal Courage Wing — Included with Membership & Museum admission.)
  • 1:30 PM
    • Docent Tour
      • Tour focus on artifacts that highlight record-breaking, around-the-world and award-winning flights. (Included with Membership & Museum admission.)
  • 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM


Adventure Aircraft and Pilots

Come meet these pilots and their aircraft that completed great feats of circumnavigation.

  • Lancair Columbia 300 — pilot Harry R Anderson
    • Achievements include: Two solo circumnavigations (eastbound and westbound), solo flight over the North Pole, solo flights to 7 continents
  • Long-EZ (homebuilt) — pilot Patrick Elliot and partner Linda Walker
    • Achievements include: Flights to 6 continents
  • Mooney M20J — pilot CarolAnn Garratt and co-PIC Carol Foy
    • Achievements include: Three circumnavigations.  World record for fastest circumnavigation in this class of airplane.
  • RV-9A (homebuilt) — pilot John Koehler
    • Achievements include: Solo circumnavigation (Eastbound)
  • Cessna 210 Centurion — pilot Ed Galkin
    • Achievements include: Four circumnavigations
  • Lancair IV (homebuilt) — pilot Bill Harrelson
    • Achievements include: Solo circumnavigations over the North and South poles and westbound around the world.  Set speed record for both in class C1d.  C1d world record for distance - 8,114SM.

Vintage Aircraft

  • Boeing B-29 FIFI — Built by Boeing in Renton  
    • One of two B-29's flying today.  Owned by the Commemorative Air Force
  • Bellanca CH-400 Skyrocket Miss Veedol — pilots Tim Moomaw and Greg Brizendine
    • Achievements include: In 1931Clyde Pangborn, pilot, and Hugh Herndon, copilot, were the first to cross the Pacific non-stop. (Misawa, Japan to Wenatchee, WA)
  • Cessna 180
    • In a Cessna 180, Jerrie Mack became the first woman to fly around in the world in 1964.
  • Navy N2S Stearman
    • In 1999, pilot Robert Ragozzino became the first person to fly around the world in an open cockpit since 1924.
  • Piper Apache
    • In this type of aircraft in 1964, Joan Merriam Smith flew equatorially, and solo, around the world.
  • Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser
    • In 1947, two pilots (Clifford Evans and Geroge Truman, circled the globe in their two Piper Super Cruisers, covering 35,897 kilometers (22,436 miles), the first time light personal aircraft accomplished such a feat.

Special Display Aircraft

  • Gulfstream Turbo Commander 900 — pilot Robert DeLaurentis
    • Achievements include: Pole to pole around-the-world

This event is put on in partnership with