Air Zoo Blog
Category: P-80A
Wednesday, Sep 29, 2021
"Smoe" and the P-80A on Display
We’ve added more cool jets to our outdoor aircraft display! In addition to the OV-1D Mohawk newly placed beside the S-3B Viking, we’re pleased to showcase an aircraft with one historic paint scheme.
The scheme honors Colonel Michael Smolen, aka “Smoe,” who served the in U.S. Air Force as one of six early jet trainers and made history as a member and leader of the Acrojets. Formed in 1945, this precision flying team was the first to perform in the P-80 Shooting S...
Read More
Tags
- kids
- Teen
- Family Friendly
- Education
- STEAM
- activities
- Fly Buy
- Kitty Hawk
- Discount
- shopping
- Science Innovation Hall of Fame
- SIHOF
- Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame
- MAHOF
- Gala
- STEM
- Awards Banquet
- Exhibit
- Anniversary
- exhibition
- Sue Parish
- Birthday
- D-Day
- World WarII
- WWII
- Flight Innovation
- Open Cockpits
- P-47
- Skyraider
- Things to do
- Boeing-Stearman
- game changers
- hands-on learning
- interactive
- video games
- Tuskegee
- City of Portage
- Special Event
- Black History Month
- Black Wings
- fundraiser
- education programs
- military
- veteran
- national gaurd
- navy
- coast gaurd
- Admission
- day camps
- STEAM Education
- binder park zoo
- Superhero
- science
- art
- Summer Camp
- High School
- aviation
- restoration
- 40
- celebrate 40
- Air Zoo Birthday
- Peter Parish
- Featured Exhibit
- traveling exhibit
- engineering
- Teacher
- MSU
- Science Festival
- FREE
- 40th Anniversary
- Founder
- 1979
- P-40
- Margaret Dunning Foundation
- grant
- labs
- renovation
- class rooms
- Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs
- MCACA
- Employee of the Month
- Nik Zumburus
- Dorothy U. Dalton Foundation
- Evening at the Museum
- Guest Experience Ambassador
- Natalie Neckermann
- work
- May
- Conferences
- Infant-at-work Program
- Diversity
- Inclusion
- News
- Waldo Wright biplane
- Yankee Air Museum
- Fly-in
- Apollo 11
- SR-71 Blackbird
- Spy-posium
- Buz Carpenter
- Ice Cream Challenge
- Birthday Bash
- National Aviation Day
- Open House
- B-17 Yankee Lady
- C-47 Hairless Joe
- Yankee Doodle Dandy
- B-25 Mitchell
- Air Zoo Team
- biplane rides
- plane rides
- Jill Manka
- Flights
- 101st
- SR-71B
- June
- Nathan Couk
- Sheldon Shen
- Air Force
- EFE
- Education for Employment
- tours
- Reenactors
- debut
- Collection
- C-47
- Glider
- Paratroopers
- Admiral Cox
- Family Fun
- Boy Scout
- Moon landing
- New Exhibit
- SBD
- Dive Bomber
- John Lendo
- recovery
- Dauntless
- Moon
- NASA
- Flight Discovery Center
- FDC
- Pilots
- inspiration
- High on Kalamazoo Air Show
- Darrik Thompson
- Delano
- Munro
- Guadalcanal
- SPAR
- WAC
- WAVES
- awards
- August
- July
- fly in
- Griffin Children
- Small Aviators
- our visitors
- WASP
- pilot
- costume
- good vibes
- Events
- educator preview
- field trips
- school
- Blackbird Affair
- blackbird
- september
- Home School
- Homeschool Discovery Days
- Jerry Glasser
- skunk works
- Donald H Sanborn
- Don Sanborn
- Historical Society of Michigan
- Volunteer
- Docent
- State History Awards
- outreach
- AAM
- MMA
- Diversity and Inclusion Program
- Recap
- Air Zoo Day
- Proclamation
- Memberships
- celebrate
- model
- A Christmas Hero
- Movie Premiere
- Friel Films
- Michael Welch
- Lauren Rys Martin
- LunarVette
- Museums for All
- EBT Card
- WIC
- Discount Admission
- Children's Museum Program
- Corvette
- scholarship
- COVID19
- COVID-19
- COVID 19
- closure
- virus
- coronavirus
- P-47 Thunderbolt
- SR-71B Blackbird
- Skywarrior
- FG-1D Corsair
- Virtual Camp
- support
- Pete Parish
- Preston Seiter "Pete" Parish
- Obituary
- Co-founder
- reopening
- re-entry
- Masks
- Policies
- Procedures
- Vulnerable Population
- New Hours
- ticketing
- Rides
- Flight Simulators
- Launchpad to Learning
- Air Adventure Rides
- Aircraft
- WWII Aircraft
- Douglas
- virtual program
- virtual event
- space exploration
- bomber
- History
- free program
- weekend
- Michigan Museums Association
- Community
- Pivot!
- Midland
- Disaster Aid
- Education@Home
- Live
- streaming event
- Student
- Maranda
- WOTV41
- Zach Zlomek
- air plane
- airplane
- exhibits
- aeromodelers
- F-117
- Nighthawk
- Lockheed
- Get Shaba
- Shaba
- Tonopah
- Press Release
- Stealth Plane
- employee of the year
- Educator
- Rosie the Riveter
- Women in Air and Space
- Stories
- Blog
- Newsletter
- Family Event
- MIOSHA
- Policies & Procedures
- COVID Safety
- Wright Brothers
- Women's History
- Katharine Wright
- Aviation History
- Clare Chandler
- BHM
- Mae Jemison
- Willa Brown
- WAS
- Ida Van Smith
- Ninety-Nines
- #blackhistory
- #becauseofherstory
- Women's History Initiative
- Mayor Patricia Randall
- Live Streaming
- Pfizer
- Dorothy Cochrane
- Target Circle
- Donating
- 501-C3
- Funding
- SBD-2P
- Pacific Aviation Museum
- Naval Aviation Museum Foundation
- Fred Turner
- A & T Recovery
- Pearl Harbor
- Military Aircraft
- Lockheed Martin
- Douglas Dauntless
- photo-reconnaissance
- Kalamazoo
- Desert Storm Aircraft
- gift
- new merchandise
- toddler
- baby
- kids gifts
- store
- books
- Hazel Ying Lee
- aviatrix
- Asian American
- Asian-American
- Mentors
- STEM Flights
- flight program
- Southwest Michigan
- Christina Koch
- Be the Astronaut
- summer exhibit
- simulator
- navigation
- experience
- immersive
- fund your favorite
- fundraising challenge
- Tyler Little Family Foundation
- donation
- vaccine
- Bronson
- Family Health Center
- Dana Bolles
- disabilities
- IF/THEN
- ASTC
- diverse abilities
- Culture
- Lyda Hill
- LGBTQ
- Association of Science and Technology Centers
- Lyda Hill Philanthropies
- gender equality
- Timeline Table
- mulit-media
- C-47 That's All Brother
- CAF
- Commemorative Air Force
- Central Texas Wing
- Normandy
- Invasion
- Remembering Pete
- Marine Corp
- Creating Community
- Appeal
- Development
- Planned Giving
- legacy
- family
- Grumman FM2 Wildcat
- Discovery Series
- Lecture
- Cultural Exchange
- membership perk
- Gilmore Car Museum
- W.K. Kellogg
- enshrinement
- Virgil Williams
- 911
- 9-11
- Attacks
- Twin Towers
- 20th Anniversary
- terrorist attacks
- dedication
- #teamsbd
- Smoe
- P-80A
- artifacts
- U. S. Air Force
- Colonel Michael Smolen
- Aloha 2173
- Honolulu Hawaii
- Lake Michigan
- A and T Recovery
- National Treasure
- Navy Veteran
- U.S. Airforce
- WMUK
- Grand Rapids Griffins
- students
- Women's Airforce Service Pilots
- CAP
- Civil Air Patrol
- Mabel Rawlinson
- Teresa James
- Congressional Gold Medal
- End of Year
- Report
- Member News
- Valentines
- Romance
- women's history month
- Patty Wagstaff
- Air Zoo Blog
- Featured
- Boeing-Stearman Kaydet
- Dinner
- Matt Milkowski
- oil paintings
- lunar
- Chelsey Bonestell
- mural
- Wallpaper
- kiosk
- crew
- ground cew
- United States Air Force
- National Medal of Honor Museum
- National Naval Aviation Museum Foundation
- F4F Wildcat
- CAM
- Community Access Membership
- Community Access Program
- Mid-year Appeal
- grantors
- Thad Darger
- Daughters of the Sky
- Database
- Women Airforce Service Pilots
- Portage Central Middle School
- Windows of the Universe
- Windows to the Universe
- air zoo
- Outdoor Aircraft
- signs
- labels
- interpretation
- Donor Spotlight
- Autumn Zank
- Fokker
- WWI Aircraft
- Sopwith
- Heather Oestrike-Schripsema
- Board Trustee
- Space Wall
- Space Fields
- Event Space
- Touchscreen
- Observable Universe
- planetary photography
- DC
Come visit us.
-
Great place! Very interesting educational and informational! Great place to take the whole family as there is something for young children up to adults!
blackeyedsusan2018
-
We took our grown daughters and young grandsons to the Air Zoo. It was very entertaining for all of us. There is so much to see and do. Rides for the whole family!
Rick C