New England Air Museum to Hold First Open Cockpit Day 0n Sunday, January 19

The New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Conn. will hold its next Open Cockpit Day on Sunday, January 19. On that day, visitors will be permitted to climb into the cockpits of up to 12 vintage aircraft, a full-motion flight simulator and two static flight simulators.The aircraft to be open include the famous P-47 Thunderbolt of WWII, the North American F-100 Super Sabre, a DC-3 airliner, several helicopters and more. 

As an added feature, the Wings & Wheels Modelers Club will present a plastic scale model show featuring hundreds of model airplanes, military vehicles, figures, ship and cars.  There will be ongoing demonstrations by modelers who will be working on and building models throughout the day.There also will be hands on activities for the enjoyment of the younger visitors during the event.  For the convenience of all, a food vendor will be on site serving sandwiches, snacks and hot & cold drinks. The event will be held inside the Museum’s three large, heated display hangars.

The New England Air Museum is the largest aviation museum in New England and is a private, non-profit educational institution that was organized in 1959. Three larger hangars and an outdoor display contain more than 80 aircraft with permanent exhibits that include the oldest surviving aircraft in the U.S. – the 1870 Silas M. Brooks Balloon Basket, as well as an S-39 Amphibian plane – the first aircraft built in Connecticut by aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky. Featured year-round are many historical aircraft and exhibits including a focus on World War II’s Tuskegee Airmen, and a display about Amelia Earhart alongside a Lockheed Model 10 Electra – the same type of plane flown by the female aviator.