The Franklin Air Show

Put your piloting skills to the test in this lively air show that introduces you to the history, majesty, science, and technology of powered flight! Hear the roar of planes overhead as you explore the basic principles of aeronautics and explore life stories and artifacts from the earliest aviation pioneers, including the Wright Brothers, Bessie Coleman, the Tuskegee Airmen, and Amelia Earhart.

Learn about airflow and how to control it for flight. Stand in front of a giant fan while wearing foam “wings” on your arms and feel the lift force. Try flying a kite like the Wright Brothers did to see how challenging it can to balance the forces. Make a paper whirligig and watch it rise on an updraft. You’ll find the activities in this exhibit uplifting!

Things to Do and See in The Franklin Air Show:

• See Artifacts from the Wright Brothers Collection: see the drawing of the original 1903 Wright Flyer. It’s just one of many fascinating artifacts in the Wright Aeronautical Engineering Collection.
• Take Flight in a Flight Simulator: fully interactive and intensely fun, you’ll experience the thrill of flight without leaving the ground in one of our flight simulators.
• See the 1911 Wright Model B Flyer: this amazing piece of history is the most intact Wright airplane remaining in the world!
• Take Control of a 1948 T-33 Jet Trainer: climb inside one of the most successful jet trainers ever built and handle real jet controls.
• Take the Controls as You Enter Pilot Training: learn how rudders control lift and direction so you can take flight.
• Feel the Force of Lift as You Attempt to Take Off: hold onto your “wings” and feel the force of lift as the wind comes right at you!
• Go Fly a Kite: can you balance the forces and keep the glider aloft?