From Icarus to space shuttle, the saga of flight in Seattle

The saga of flight, from the fateful fall of Icarus to the technology of the space shttles, makes a rich pageant that airplane buff's of all ages can enjoy. Seattle's Museum of Flight injects life into man's efforts to fly by combining photographs, films, handsome displays, and hands-on workshops in a historic setting.

The museum is housed in The Red Barn, the original home o the Boeing Airplane Company. Here visitors can get a sense of what conditions were like on one of the first aircraft assembly lines. The meticulously restored building, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was pruchased by Boeing in 1910 and later moved to its present location.

It's not just a general airplane museum; many displays emphasize the history of flight around the Pacific Rim--from southern California to the Northwest and beyond to Japan, China, and Australia.

It also has an active educational program to teach children about flight, with hands-on workshops using paper airplanes, boomerangs, kites, and other flying toys.

In the next two years, almost 80,000 square feet of display space will be added to the building. Called the Great Gallery, the six-story-high space will be enclosed by glass and house 30 full-size planes.

The museum is open 10 to 5 daily from May 30 to September 30 (it's closed Mondays and open Sundays from noon to 5 the rest of the year). Admission is $2.50 adults, $1.50 seniors and ages 13 to 18, and $1 ages 6 to 12.

To get there from Seattle, take Interstate 5 south to Boeing Access Road (exit 158), go west, then head north on E. Marginal Way South for about half a mile. For more information, write or call the museum, 9404 E. Marginal Way South, Seattle 98108; (206) 767-7373.

Special events now through summer

You can attend a series of special programs that include films, displays, fly-ins, and workshops. Other events are scheduled after summer; call for details.

May 4, 11, 18, and 25. How Strong Is the Wind?, a 45-minute film on the Wright brothers and their flight, at 11 and 2.

May 11 through June 16. An exhibit of rare pictures of the Wright brothers arrives from the Smithsonian.

May 22, 23, 24. Judging of the Second Great International Paper Airplane Contest, in the Boeing Field Hangar, from 11 to 4. Public viewing cost of $2.50 includes admission to the museum.

May 25. Whitewings Paper Airplane Day, a hands-on workshop with Japanese designer Dr. Y. Ninomiya, from 10 to 4. Cost of $3 includes your own glider kit and demonstration of other gliders.

June 1. A technical workshop on how to install and dope fabric on aircraft, from 9 to 3. The $35 fee includes materials.

June 15. "When Food Was Food, and Stews Were Stews," a special luncheon highlighting airline cuisine and flight-attendant fashions. Reservations are required; $10.

June 22. Flying Apparatus Day, with demonstrations and workshops on the hows and whys of flying objects, from 11 to 3.

July 27, 28. The 50th anniversary of the B-17, with an exhibition of restored B-17s and fighter escorts, from 10 to 5. Celebration includes displays, films, and special events.

August 17. Flying Antiques and Flying Foods Picnic will let you feast on a flight luncheon and watch old-time planes fly in. Reservations required; $7.

September 1. Opening of the Wei-fang Kite Experience, an exhibit of 80 hand-painted, three-dimensional silk and bamboo kites from the birthplace of kites, Wei-fang, China. Show runs through September 30.