Innovations In Flight 2024 Udvar-Hazy Center Dulles Virginia

My 2nd Visit To Udvar-Hazy

We took our annual trip to Baltimore, Maryland, and made a detour to the Udvar-Hazy National Air and Space Museum. This aviation museum is in Virginia, just outside Dulles International Airport. I had visited a couple of years earlier to photograph the airplane exhibits and the space shuttle. This time, I wanted to bring my family to see the space shuttle. I also planned to photograph a special event at the museum, Innovations In Flight. As an aviation photographer, I was so excited.

What Is Innovations in Flight

The event, Innovations in Flight, is held once a year on the outdoor aprons of the museum. These aprons connect directly to the runways and taxiways at Dulles International Airport. This allowed dozens of aircraft to fly in specifically for the occasion. The lineup included light aircraft, experimental planes, historic aircraft, helicopters, and more. One of the standout attractions was a United Airlines Boeing 777 that had taxied to the museum. It was open for public tours, giving visitors the rare opportunity to walk through it. United Airlines had several of their aircraft operations experts on-site, along with airport operations equipment, including a tug for the 777 and other gear.

One fascinating display was the engine of the 777 with its cowling open, allowing us to see its immense size and intricate components. The engine of a 777 is so massive that its diameter is larger than the fuselage of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737. Having flown on a 777 to and from London just a few months earlier, I found it incredible to examine one up close. I spoke with an airplane mechanic stationed near the engine, who shared her experiences working on these remarkable machines. It was fascinating to hear firsthand what her job entails and how much she enjoyed it.

While I didn’t focus much on photographing the light and experimental aircraft, it was still interesting to see the variety, especially the unique helicopters from different regions. These were unlike any I had seen at other air shows or aviation events.

After spending a couple of hours at Innovations in Flight, exploring the airplanes, and enjoying the museum, we revisited the space shuttle exhibit. My daughter had a great time, and after wrapping up at the museum, we headed to our favorite winery in Maryland, as we do every year. It was a fun and memorable trip overall.