Time to Party - National Aviation Day
On the anniversary of Orville Wright’s birthday in 1939, the U.S. first officially celebrated the development of human flight
Perhaps “recognized” is a better word, because I’ve never heard of an “Aviation Day party. But I am thinking about starting a new tradition and hosting one. I did a quick search for aviation-themed cocktails and I never knew there were so many. If you decide to celebrate Aviation Day, check out the list of cocktail recipes at the end of this post.
Established by President Roosevelt in 1939, August 19th was designated National Aviation Day.
With two great Air and Space Museums in the area, it’s a great time for a visit and admission is free to both museums.
But first, here’s a few interesting video clips of the history and evolution of flight.
First Flights - early 1900s
F-22 Raptor
Remember the James Bond Jet-Pack??? It lives!!
World War II Warbirds in Action.
National Air and Space Museum
Independence Avenue at 6th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20560 (map it)
Dates and Times - Daily 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Nearest Metro Subway Station - L’Enfant Plaza - Blue, Orange, Green and Yellow lines, and Smithsonian - Blue and Orange lines
Parking - Limited metered street parking is available.
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The Udvar-Hazy center is about two times larger at almost 300,000 sq. ft., and is housed in the Boeing Aviation Hangar. It’s big enough to hold a space shuttle…in one of the side halls.
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway
Chantilly, Virginia 20151 (map it)
Dates and Times - Daily, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 PM
Parking - $12.00
Nearest Metro Subway Station - Transportation - Getting to the Udvar-Hazy Center by public transportation can be challenging. There are a few options.
First you need to get to Dulles Airport. The easiest way is to take the Metro subway to the West Falls Church station (Orange line), then take a Washington Flyer Coach to the airport ($16.00 round-trip). Buses run every 30 minutes.
You can also take the Metro subway to L’enfant Plaza (Yellow line) or Rosslyn (Orange line), then the Metro 5A bus to Dulles Airport (cost about $9.00 round-trip).
From Dulles Airport, catch the Virginia Regional Transit shuttle bus to/from the Udvar-Hazy Center daily from 10:45 - 5:50 ever 45 minutes.
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Aviation-themed Cocktails for your own Aviation Day Party.
Aviation - gin, maraschino liqueur, lemon juice
Kamakazi - vodka, triple sec, lime juice
Tailspin - gin, Sweet Vermouth, Green Chartreuse, Campari, (sounds horrible, no wonder it’s called a tailspin)
Jolly Pilot - gin, brandy, Cointreau, Sherry, Angostura bitters
Sky Pilot - gin, crème de noyeau, orange juice, Sherry
Sky Pilot - applejack, rum, grenadine, lime juice
Flying Fortress - Cognac, vodka, anisette, Cointreau
Flying Tiger - white rum, gin, grenadine, sugar, aromatic bitters
Parachute Cooler - coffee, kirsch, brandy, egg white
For specific recipes, click here.
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POSTED IN: Attractions, Family Fun, Freebies - Free or No Cost, Museums, Must-See Sights, Video
2 opinions for Time to Party - National Aviation Day
Linker Barn: Tuesday, August 21
Aug 21, 2007 at 1:27 am
[…] The nine coolest things about Enter the Dragon. […]
No, that other "Nike"
Nov 14, 2007 at 5:26 am
[…] you want to see one of these pieces of history up close, the Udvar-Hazy Center National Air and Space Museum on the grounds of Dulles Airport has a one […]
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