Spring 2017 Newsletter
Letter from the President
In This Issue
Happy and festive winter to you, our valued members. I hope the holidays were fabulous for you and I celebrate with you the fact that we are already past the winter solstice and our days are getting longer and brighter.
Open Cockpits in February. . . . . 2
Each day at the Air Zoo is getting brighter as well. We finished the year with some remarkable crowds coming to experience everything the Air Zoo has to offer, including our three new hands-on, interactive science and technology exhibits. Visitors gave us fantastic feedback on the challenges of building giant structures using the KEVA planks; the fun had by our younger guests building creative structures with the Imagination Playground; and the innovative learning taking place while engaging in physics of flight experiments using Flexhibits. Couple the Air Zoo’s enhanced experience with the immersive educational opportunities of our holiday Family Fun Days, and we had the perfect launch into 2017. We have more exciting endeavors on the near horizon. Our Restoration team will be busier than ever, as we have just had our plan approved by the National Naval Aviation Museum to restore the Douglas Dauntless SBD 2173 we received over the summer. When we complete the SBD in 3-4 years, it will head to the Pacific Aviation Museum in Hawaii, near where it once served at Pearl Harbor. With two WWII Navy aircraft to restore, both of which were on the bottom of Lake Michigan for
Education: Hot Ice Experiment. . . 3 Education: Science News. . . . . . 3 Education: Science History . . . . . 3 Membership: Member Update. . 4 Advancement: Donor’s Corner . . 5 Ford Tri-Motor Move . . . . . . . . . . 6 Collections: Artifact of Quarter. . 7
at least 65 years, we hope you will come by and interact with these exciting projects. Also, coming up on Saturday, February 18th is our fourth annual Corporate Engineering Challenge, in cooperation with the Society of Women Engineers. Last year was our largest ever, with 160 young girls working with female scientists and engineers from almost 20 local companies to build innovative cars to successfully travel across the Air Zoo on a zip line. Join us this year to see an even larger event (and new challenge!!) and engage in exciting hands-on activities with all of these great local companies.
Fly Buy Store: New Room!. . . . . . 8
Hope to see you at the Air Zoo soon!
Mon - Sat: 9 a .m . to 5 p .m . Sun: Noon to 5 p .m .
Ad Astra!
Online: For more information or to shop online visit www.AirZoo.org . www.facebook.com/AirZoo
Contact Air Zoo 6151 Portage Road Portage, MI 49002 269 .382 .6555 866 .524 .7966 (toll free) Membership . . . . (269)350-2815 Development . . . (269)350-2812 Fly Buy Store . . . . (269)350-2828 Hours of Operation:
Troy A. Thrash President and CEO
FOLLOW US!
Open Cockpits at the Air Zoo Each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in February, Air Zoo guests will have the unique opportunity to sit in the cockpits of some of the most famous aircraft in history! Don’t miss this amazing chance to “climb behind the stick” and get a true pilot’s eye view of history!
Featured Aircraft: Feb. 10 - 12: Republic P-47D Thunderbolt - Nicknamed the “Jug”, the P-47 was a favorite of World War II pilots due to its ability to stay in the sky after absorbing incredible amounts of battle damage. Grumman G-73 Mallard (East Campus) - Treat yourself to a comfortable seat in this luxurious, vintage seaplane! Don Draper would have been a big fan of this well-appointed world traveler. Feb. 17 - 19: 1929 Ford Trimotor 5-AT - Considered the aircraft that brought air travel to the masses, the Air Zoo’s Trimotor is one of the last remaining air-worthy examples on the planet! Grumman G-73 Mallard (East Campus) - Treat yourself to a comfortable seat in this luxurious, vintage seaplane! Don Draper would have been a big fan of this well-appointed world traveler. Feb. 24 - 26: Douglas AD-4NA Skyraider - In service from 1944 through the Vietnam war, this prop-driven fighter was a workhorse with tremendous load capacity. Best known for its air support role in Southeast Asia, these aircraft saved the lives of countless soldiers on the ground. Grumman G-73 Mallard (East Campus) - Treat yourself to a comfortable seat in this luxurious, vintage seaplane! Don Draper would have been a big fan of this well-appointed world traveler.
*Due to the varying engineering and design elements, a weight restriction of 250 pounds is placed on each aircraft. Visitors must also have the ability to enter and exit the aircraft unassisted. Children wishing to sit in the aircraft must be supervised by their parents/guardians.
Education Department: Edge-ucation Experiment: Hot Ice!
SCIENCE IN THE NEWS
Safety note – Adult Supervision Required
Flu fighter: Breath monitor to detect flu
Did you ever sneak an extra spoonful of sugar into your KoolAid as a kid but got caught when mom saw the undissolved sugar at the bottom of the glass? If you had only known how to make a Supersaturated Solution, mom would have never been the wiser.
January 31, 2017
1. Put 160 grams of sodium acetate in a flask and add 30 mL of water. *You can purchase sodium acetate (recommended), or make your own by visiting
HERE. 2. Have an adult place the flask on a hot plate, heat it gently, and stir until the crystals of sodium acetate dissolve. Use a small amount of water to rinse down the inside of the flask after it cools so no crystals remain on the inside.
3. Use tongs to remove the flask from the heat and let it cool slowly without disturbing it.
4. Add one or two crystals (that’s right, it only takes a single crystal) to the liquid in the flask. Don’t take your eyes off of the liquid as beautiful crystals begin to form inside the flask.
5. Feel the flask… it’s warm! This demonstration illustrates an ‘exothermic reaction’, or the release of heat during recrystallization.
6. You can also place a few crystals on a plate and carefully pour the heated solution onto the crystals. Watch a HOT ICE sculpture form right in front of your eyes!
Source: University of Texas at Arlington. ScienceDaily, Perena Gouma, a professor in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at The University of Texas at Arlington, has invented a hand-held breath monitor that detects the flu virus. Gouma's device is similar to breathalyzers that detect alcohol. A patient simply exhales into the device, and semiconductor sensors similar to those in a carbon monoxide detector isolate biomarkers associated with the flu virus and indicate whether or not the individual has the flu. An early diagnosis allows doctors to treat the flu in its beginning stages, and potentially prevent flu epidemics from spreading. "I think that nanotechnology like this is going to revolutionize personalized diagnostics. This will allow people to be proactive and catch illnesses early, and the technology can easily be used to detect other diseases, such as Ebola virus disease, simply by changing the sensors," said Gouma. "Before we applied nanotechnology to create this device, the only way to detect biomarkers in a person's breath was through very expensive, highly-technical equipment in a lab". "Dr. Gouma's development of a portable, single-exhale device that can be used to detect diseases has implications far beyond the laboratory," says Stathis Meletis, chair of the Materials Science and Engineering Department. "This shows the impact of nanotechnology on our everyday lives, and has potential for applications related to security and other important areas as well." For detailed info on this invention, read the full white paper HERE.
Science History (from TODAYINSCI®) January 1st, 1937 - Air Corps Physiological Research Lab.
In January 1937, at the Air Corps physiological research facility at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio, outfitting was completed, and it was ready to undertake its first work. It was the first of its kind in America. The U.S. Air Corps now had a laboratory to improve health and safety for pilots. The first effort was a series of animal experiments to gather baseline physiological data on hypoxia, and the effects of explosive decompression. Later, here, the first centrifuge in the U.S. allowed scientists to investigate the physiological effects of G-forces on humans. The design of modern pressurized aircraft is a result of work done here.
Membership Department: Member Update Tamra Stafford
Membership Manager Member Services Desk Now Open We are excited to announce the new Air Zoo Member Services desk in the lobby (look left as you enter)! Members can now take advantage of quick check-in and answers to membership questions, membership purchases, upgrades and more! The Member Services desk will be available during Spring Break, the summer months and weekends throughout the year. Be sure to skip the line and take full advantage of it your next visit!
Member Benefits Don’t forget to check out all the member discounts available to you with your Air Zoo member card. You can access the entire list here at www.AirZooBenefits.org to see all the great deals the Air Zoo has to offer you as our valued member.
New Reciprocal Partnership Looking ahead to March, we are pleased to announce another partnership with the Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum. This means you can visit their museum for free using your Air Zoo membership card! The Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum provides fun, hands-on exhibits to promote learning for children ages 0-12. Be sure to check it out!
Upcoming Sky Kids Club Events Our next few Sky Kids Club sessions are listed below. If your children are not yet signed up, it’s free for members, just ask at the new Member Services desk for more information on how to sign them up. February 11, 2017 Astronauts: What do you need to take with you into space? Kids can make their own spacesuits, learn about space food, and practice fixing their spaceship during a fun “spacewalk” activity! March 11, 2017 Earth & Space Science: Create landscapes using glaciers and water run-off while learning about the powerful force of erosion. Explore the constellations, planets, and other galactic bodies that share the night sky with our Earth! May 13, 2017 Light & Sound Waves: Discover the science of light and sound by manipulating tuning forks, resonance chambers, laser lights, and a giant wave machine!
Development Department: Donor’s Corner Maria Newhouse
Advancement Associate Did you know that in the last year the Air Zoo has had visitors from all 50 states and nearly 20 foreign countries? Our ability to impact the lives of the young and young at heart is continually growing, and is work we could not do without our volunteers, members and donors. The Air Zoo is so appreciative of the many individuals who support our mission through their generous gift of time and resources. As we move into the fall, the Air Zoo is in need of several items to continue this important work. Thank you for considering a gift to support us as we move forward! Brick Pavers: A Lasting Legacy Did you know you can honor a loved one by purchasing a brick to be installed in the front patio of the Air Zoo? For more information, contact our us at (269)350-2813 or mnewhouse@AirZoo.org. Your Contribution Your generous gift will help the Air Zoo continue to provide meaningful and impactful programming and experiences. Donations to the Air Zoo can be made online. Checks made payable to the Air Zoo can be mailed to: Air Zoo Development Department 6151 Portage Rd. Portage, MI 49002
Ford Trimotor Move! The Ford Trimotor has a new home at Main Campus. This took many hours and dedicated volunteers to make happen. Thank you to all involved! Enjoy some pictures of the two day process below.
Collections Department: Artifact of the Quarter Christy Kincaid
Collections and Exhibits Coordinator
Donor: Ted Blakhnik
Accession #: 08.05.99108.2E
This Japanese bomb fragment is a small piece of a 500 lb bomb that hit the U.S.S. Fuller on November 8, 1943 during a naval battle in the Bougainville Campaign (near the Solomon Islands). The blast killed eight sailors onboard. The Bougainville Campaign, which was then named Operation Cherryblossom, started on November 1, 1943. November 8 was the first large scale attack during the campaign. The Americans estimated roughly 60,000 Japanese troops to be on Bougainville or surrounding the territory. The purpose of invading Bougainville was to capture enough land to create airfields. The terrain was very similar to Guadalcanal; very mountainous, infested with insects and lots of rain. On December 9, the first airstrip was declared operational. There would be two more built before the end of the campaign. Major fighting in the campaign would end March 1944. In total, the Japanese lost 5,000 men and 3,000 more wounded. The Americans lost only 263 troops.
Fly Buy Store:
NEW: Kid’s Room!
Our new Little People Exploration Room is open! Come check out our new offerings and bring the kiddos!