Girls on Wheels ready for takeoff at the Frontiers of Flight Museum
Vicki Baker
The history of flight is the history of dreams. Human beings have been obsessed by the idea of flight since the dawn of recorded history, imagining ourselves cavorting among the clouds, wheeling and soaring like birds. Historical records describe such attempts at flight going back at least 1,000 years.
Flight represents freedom, adventure, and the ability to escape the confines of the earth’s surface. This impossible pull-of-the-sky brought Girls on Wheels (Vicki Baker, Karen Dipietro, Nancy Burns, Cassie Richardson, and Susan Hebert) to the Frontiers of Flight Museum, Texas’ premier air and space museum. The science, innovation, and wonder of flight are told through more than 35,000 rare and unique artifacts and narratives in over 20 galleries, with displays ranging from Leonardo da Vinci, to the Wright Brothers, to the spacecraft of the 21st century.
We jump started our chronological walk through the development of human flight by heading straight to the space travel area. Standing in all its glory was the Apollo 7 Command Module, the first manned mission of the Apollo program. After a successful launch in October 1968, mankind was one step closer to reaching the moon. There was also the only Moon Rock on display in North Texas, as well as Space Shuttle and International Space Station artifacts.
Continuing to the wooden airplane hangar, exhibits showcased the Wright Brothers and other early pioneers of aviation who took the daring steps to do something that up until that time was just for the birds. Exploring further was a blue F/A-18 Hornet, an aircraft for the Blue Angels. Having seen performances from afar, we were able to walk right up to the jet and see it up close. Also on display was the one-of-a-kind, bright yellow Chance Vought V-173 “Flying Pancake.”
Another exhibit focused on the women pilots of World War II. Rarely hearing about their role in the Army Air Force during this global conflict, we read of their involvement—so many amazing stories of women from all walks of life. The area dedicated to Braniff International, one of America’s most colorful airlines, displayed some rather funky flight attendant uniforms. One included a bubble head covering resembling an astronaut. Oh, the crazy days of the ‘60s.
Sticking through the glass walls of the building was a commercial Southwest Airlines 737-300 jet. Fun fact: There are 357,000 parts and about 600,000 bolts and rivets fastening these parts together. The nose of another plane allowed a closer look at the pilot’s seat with all its buttons, switches, and controls.
Girls on Wheels covered only a small portion of this treasure trove of aviation history, definitely warranting a return visit. The desire to fly is rooted in the human need to explore new frontiers. The Frontiers of Flight Museum provided us a focal point to delve into the history and future progress of aviation as mankind continues to pursue going higher, faster, and farther.