No space shuttle for Museum of Flight – but a trainer’s on the way

(NASA archive photo of astronaut Eileen Collins in the trainer)
Though the Museum of Flight won’t get a space shuttle – they’re going to New York, California, D.C., and Florida, as NASA announced this past hour (and as our partners at the Seattle Times reported pre-announcement) — Governor Gregoire says there’s cause for excitement that a “full-fuselage trainer” is coming to the museum. From her statement:

(T)he full fuselage trainer, that every astronaut including Bonnie Dunbar has been trained on, will soon call the Museum of Flight home. The largest of the trainers, this addition will allow visitors to actually climb aboard the trainer and experience the hands-on training that astronauts get. Visitors will not be allowed in the other shuttles and this trainer is a true win for our dynamic museum. It will help inspire young people to the adventure of space and to the excitement of a career in science, technology, engineering and math.

(Dr. Bonnie Dunbar is the museum’s former director.) More details in the Times’ updated report.

clark5080 April 12, 2011 (11:37 am)

boo a shuttle would have been way better

sw April 12, 2011 (11:56 am)

Agreed. I checked the website for the California museum that is getting the Endeavour – it’s not nearly as robust an aviation museum as our MOF. Methinks there were some shenanigans involved.

On the plus side, the full size simulator will be impressive and visitors will be able to go inside it. An actual orbiter would not have this access.

Lord of the Hill April 12, 2011 (12:51 pm)

Extra big :( on not getting a shuttle.

charlabob April 12, 2011 (12:55 pm)

Personally, I think something “hands on” is much cooler. And much more appropriate to the Washington area — we aren’t just lookers :-)

D. Wulkan April 12, 2011 (1:36 pm)

We’re not a major league city, it’s that simple. Plus, we haven’t been too kind to Boeing lately. Los Angeles makes sense–20 million people live within a couple hours drive of that museum–a younger, more diverse, and more robust population base. No shenanigans; looking at it from the decider’s view, it’s a slam dunk decision that makes sense.

DP April 12, 2011 (1:56 pm)

D. Wulkan: What the heck does the MOF getting a retired space shuttle have to do with whether “we” have been kind to Boeing lately?
.
Your logic seems to be travelling in a very eccentric orbit.

coffee April 12, 2011 (3:00 pm)

Glad we are getting something. I have been in a flight simulator and they are COOL. I am still way excited!

Skeeter April 12, 2011 (3:13 pm)

Bummer we didn’t get the real thing. I suppose that Wulkan is right. A lot more people will see it in LA simply because the huge population. Oh well. We do have a Concorde – that’s pretty cool.

casaboba April 12, 2011 (3:32 pm)

Candidly, we are a small market in comparison to those markets which were selected. We would not have generated the numerical consumer exposure. We have been eclipsed. Good effort by those lobbying on the MOF behalf. Thank you.

Yardvark April 12, 2011 (3:33 pm)

Charlabob is right. We’re a hands-on culture and visitors won’t be allowed in the real shuttles. Big Monuments are more suited to those other cities.

Jacob April 12, 2011 (4:35 pm)

The simulator is cool, but I’d rather have the real thing :\

Paula T April 12, 2011 (5:00 pm)

Glad to hear we get a simulator where we can experience hands-on shuttle fun! Yes, we do have a Concord as it was born here – I lived through that era as a young girl and couldn’t be prouder. A shuttle might have been nice, but something tells me the simulator will be a huge draw for the museum. A huge thank you to Ms. Dunbar for her efforts through this entire process.

(required) April 12, 2011 (6:32 pm)

Hey: free admission on Saturday!

http://www.museumofflight.org/event/free-saturday

JayDee April 12, 2011 (6:48 pm)

I heard on KUOW that the simulator was handed out months ago but the hoopla was muted. But a simulator is better than nothing. The MOF is still very cool.

Ed April 13, 2011 (3:11 am)

Isn’t Senator Cantwell on the sub-committee that oversees NASA? One would have thought that was worth something…perhaps she doesn’t have the pull we thought she did.

Sorry, comment time is over.