The Historic Flight Education Center is slated to open in 2011. Here’s what you’ll discover: As you approach the expansive hangar doors and move from the curved surface of the main hangar into the finely detailed lobby, you’ll sense the contrast between the vast scale of aviation and the finely detailed aircraft housed in our hangars.

Between the lobby and the Orientation Theater, continuous glass openings will offer dramatic views of the light-filled main hangar and our aircraft collection. The theater will literally transport you into the past—you’ll sit in a first-class seat from the classic Boeing 707 and watch live and filmed presentations about our aircraft and their era.

Exploring the hangar is a trip in itself—whether you’re just walking on your own or taking a guided tour, you’ll get up close and personal with the extraordinary engineering and beauty of our aircraft collection. Imagine going nose-to-propeller with our Waco UPF-7, hearing aviators talk about the personal history of each aircraft, and watching engineers and mechanics as they work in the Restoration Center. If you visit Kilo-6 on a “flying day,” you’ll go full-throttle with our pilots as they take off and fly our planes and jets. (Trust us—the experience is a world apart from sitting in the airport or waiting for your delayed flight to taxi out.)

An open ramp around the perimeter of the space will provide excellent overviews of the aircraft and a path to the upper-level lounge. The lounge terrace will offer dramatic views of the runway, and in the distance, Mt. Baker and the Cascades. With seating and meal service for up to 75 visitors, the lounge will give you the ideal resting place to appreciate the aircraft below and the exterior views beyond.