8 High-Flying Places to Jet Off to for National Aviation Day!
Up, up, and away! August 19th is National Aviation Day!
In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt designated August 19 (Orville Wright’s birthday) to commemorate all things airplanes and aviation.
To celebrate National Aviation Day, we’ve rounded up a list of Southern California aviation-themed places you could take off to with your kids!
Flight Path Museum & Learning Center
Los Angeles Airport
Located on the airfield at LAX, this educational facility and museum takes you on a journey of Southern California’s aviation history. See flight crew uniforms on display from 68 airlines from around the world, check out the DC-3 Plane Exhibit, marvel at model rockets and the astronaut flight suit in the Space Exploration Exhibit, or sign up for their Flight Path Simulator Training.
Admission Prices: $5/general, $3 for seniors, military, and children 12 and under.
Sepulveda Blvd. (Westchester area of Los Angeles)
The Flight Path “Walk of Fame” is a pathway of plaques dedicated to the pioneers and individuals whose “work” helped ensure Southern California’s world leadership in aviation/aerospace. The Walk of Fame is located on Sepulveda Blvd. in the Westchester area of Los Angeles.
See plaques dedicated to pioneers like:
- Sally Ride (the first U.S. woman in space)
- Amelia Earhart (record-setting woman pilot)
- Charles Lindbergh (first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic)
- Wright Brothers (world’s first powered flight)
- Bessie Coleman (first licensed black pilot)
Check out the full list of honorees here, and go on a hunt to find everyone’s plaque!
Santa Ana
Stroll through the museum to see authentic aircraft like:
- Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress”
- Cessna O-1E “Birddog”
- Douglas A-26 “Invader” (pictured above)
- Douglas C-47 “Skytrain” or “Dakota”
- Douglas DC-3 “Flagship Orange County”
- North American AT-6/SNJ-6
- North American B-25 “Mitchell”
Visitors will also get to see military vehicles, military motorcycles, and automobiles! The museum also hosts family-friendly events throughout the year including Open Cockpit Day this Saturday, August 21, 2021. You’ll get to climb onboard their C-47 “Willa Dean” for an education cockpit tour.
Also, their summer exhibit, There’s a Ford in Your Future, featuring vintage and modern Fords is on display through September 6, 2021. Don’t miss it!
Ticket Prices: $13/general, $10/senior (60+), $6/children (5-17), $10/veterans, free for children under 5 years old.
Riverside
With over 30 acres of outdoor exhibit space, and two large indoor exhibit hangars, March Field Air Museum has the one of the largest displays of military aircraft and artifacts in Southern California.
Nearly 80 historic aircraft are on display spanning almost 100 years of aviation history. The collection includes examples ranging from the frail fabric covered bi-planes of the First World War, to the sleek jet fighters of today, from the rugged helicopters of the Vietnam period to the futuristic unmanned aerial vehicles of tomorrow’s battlefields.
Save the Date: Their next Air Show is happening May 14-15, 2022!
Chino
The museum is home to nearly 100 aircraft spanning the earliest days of aviation, including the First World War, the 1920s and 1930s, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. On Saturdays and Sundays, the Museum’s Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress” will be open to visitors to safely enter and learn about the men and women who
Admission Prices: $12/general, $5/children (5-11), $9/veterans, $10/seniors (65+) and AAA members, free for children 4 and under.
Save the Date: Their upcoming Planes of Fame Air Show happening October 30-31, 2021!
Torrance
Educational programs allow children to see and touch airplanes that made aviation history. The museum collection includes numerous Warbirds, aircraft and target drones, aircraft engines, ejection seats, World War II instruments and an extensive model aircraft collection.
Admission: $5/general, free for children under 12 years.
Air Force One at Reagan Library
Simi Valley
When you visit the Reagan Library, you’ll be able to step aboard this same Air Force One that flew President Reagan over 660,000 miles – to 26 foreign countries and 46 U.S. states. This “Flying White House”, tail number 27000, served seven U.S. Presidents, including Presidents Nixon, Carter, Ford, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush.
Also on display in the Air Force One Pavilion is the presidential limo, secret service suburban, and an actual Marine One helicopter that flew President Johnson.
Tickets: $29.95/general, $26.95/senior (62+), $22.95/youth (11-17), $19.95/child (3-10), free for children 2 and under.
Save the Date: Pacific Airshow
Huntington Beach
Save the date for one of the best airshows around! The Pacific Airshow, happening October 1-3, 2021, delivers an action-packed lineup of events featuring live music festivals on the beach and over-the-water aerobatic demonstrations. The airshow has grown to become the largest airshow in the United States by attendance attracting millions of spectators every year.
The 2021 lineup includes U.S. Navy Blue Angels, Canadian Forces Snowbirds, U.S. Army Golden Nights, U.S. Air Force ACC F-35 Demo Team, U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey Demo Team, and more!
Santa Monica
[CURRENTLY CLOSED] Located at Santa Monica airport, the museum exhibits vintage aircraft (with many still in flight-ready condition), artifacts, a MaxFlight flight simulator (additional rates apply) and more. The museum is currently closed, but will be reopening soon! Date TBA.
More Like This:
Air Museums & Displays in Southern California
Space Destinations in Southern California
Categories: Blog
This post was written by Kidsguide
