WWII Plane O'Reilly's Daughter (Museum of Flight, Seattle Washington)

My husband is a big aviation buff.  When we headed up to Seattle on business, a tour of the Boeing Factory was at the top of his list.  Although I was skeptical about the entertainment value of watching an airplane being built, I must confess that our visits to the Seattle Flight Museum and the Boeing Factory Tour were two highlights of our trip.  Whether you find yourself in Seattle on a grown up getaway or a road trip with the kids, the Museum of Flight in Seattle and the Future of Flight Center in the little town of Mukilteo, Washington offer something fascinating to explore for everyone.

Checking out a Fighter Jet at the Museum of Flight (Seattle, Washington)

Museum of Flight

Our visit to the Museum of Flight was my favorite aviation adventure of the trip. We needed to be at the Boeing Factory by 3pm, so I didn’t get to explore this museum to my satisfaction. I hope to return with my kids some day and catch up on what I missed.

One of the exciting things about this museum is that visitors get to experience airplanes that once flew for presidents and dignitaries. My husband and I braved the rain and checked out a version of Air Force One which was used by President Kennedy as well as retired version of the Concorde aircraft. Visitors have the opportunity to climb on board and walk through these two historic aircraft.  Most parts of the plane are covered with plexiglass which may come in handy if you’re bringing the little ones. I particularly liked checking out Air Force One’s “state of the art” computer area.

The Latest Technology from Kennedy's Air Force One

I really loved exploring the World War II fighter plane exhibit.  It was full of rich historical information about WWII.  Since I was without kids on this trip, I had time to read the interesting anecedotes about heroes such as Douglass R.S. Bader, the Fighter Pilot who flew using prosthetic legs. He lost these legs when he crashed in the middle of Germany and insisted that his German captors receive replacements by way of an Ally bombing raid. He befriended the commander of the POW camp, and they continued their friendship after the war.

The planes were spectacular as well.  I know that my little ones would be fascinated by the interesting tags and pictures on each one.

World War II Planes the Museum of Flight (Seattle, Washington)

The museum also includes a great exhibit on space exploration and the original “Big Red Barn” where William E. Boeing founded his company.  When I return with the kids I also look forward to checking out the Kid’s Flight Zone Area.

Air France Vintage Flight Attendant Costumes, Future of Flight (Mukilteo, Washington)

Future of Flight Center

I’ll confess that our visit to this attraction was not my favorite of our Seattle aviation adventures.  The exhibits here are very limited.  I did have fun seeing the vintage Air France flight attendant uniforms designed by great designers such as Christian Dior.  They also had an interesting exhibit on using biodiesel as jet fuel.  I’m excited to see that innovation used sometime in the future.

Boeing Factory Tour

This was a very interesting factory tour.  You have the opportunity to visit several observation areas above the factory floor and watch how Boeing planes are assembled.  Every visit would be different as the planes are constantly moving on to new phases of production.  I was especially interested in learning about the Boeing Dreamliner, a smaller, quieter, more fuel efficient plane that will soon be available to passengers through a number of airlines.  I look forward to riding a Dream Liner in the future.  The knowledgeable docent ended her tour by encouraging us to tell the airlines, “If it’s not Boeing, I’m not going”.  I don’t plan to follow her advice, but the tour did give me an appreciation for the amazing planes produced by this historic US aviation company.

Other  Washington State Aviation Attractions

I haven’t visited these attractions, but  after having fun at the Museum of Flight and Boeing Factory Tour, they are now on my must see list.

Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum,  was recently profiled in Southwest’s Spirit Magazine, this museum gives visitors a chance to get up close and personal with the Spruce Goose.  The Spruce Goose was a  giant transport plane  designed and built by movie producer Howard Hughes and Liberty Ship builder Henry Kaiser.  It was only flown for one test flight then retired to its hanger.

This collection of meticulously restored historic planes, by Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft looks amazing. I look forward to visiting the Flying Heritage Collection in Everett, Washington on a future vacation.