Robert Wheelington

The history of airplane flying is less than 100 years old. And companies in St. Louis have played a big part in both the history of plane and space flight.

Local kids can sample a lot of that history with a free, guided tour of the James S. McDonnell Prologue Room. The air museum is located in Building 100 at the Boeing headquarters near Lambert Field.

(For how to schedule tours, see sidebar below)

The museum is open to the public during the summer months. August is the last month of this season. But, area schools can arrange for group tours during the school year.

St. Louis kids Robert Wheelington, Ashley Mahone, Michael Tate and Richard Barr got a chance to make the tour recently. They were part of a group from the Future Geniuses Child Care Learning Center in Berkeley.

Ashley Mahone

Twelve-year-old Robert said he liked the video that showed the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels. That's the squadron that flies jet fighter planes in close formation at air shows.

Both he and 11-year-old Michael also liked the scale model of the Boeing Business Jet. That was one of the hundreds of models of various planes in the museum. The BBJ plane was a cut-away model that also showed how the inside of the plane looked.

The Future Geniuses tour started with a video that showed them how flying pioneers "unlocked the mystery of flight."

Wilbur and Orville Wright were the first to master powered flying at Kitty Hawk, N.C. Before their plane could fly, they had to solve the four elements of flight. Those are lift, power, stability and control.

The wings which have more curve on the top than the bottom help air provide lift to get the planes in the air. The invention of light-weight piston engine gave the power. Later, jet engines provided much more power.

The vertical and horizontal tail assembly provided stability in flight. Then, the movable flaps in both the wings and tail provide control so the pilot can maneuver the plane.

The Wright brothers' first flight in 1908 lasted only a few seconds and the plane went only a little over a 100 feet.

Michael Tate

It was only a few years later than St. Louis got involved in the development of aviation. One whole wall in the Prologue Room shows examples of how planes have gotten bigger and faster in such a short time. Many of them were built right here in St. Louis.

St. Louis-built equipment also played a big part in U.S. space exploration. The museum has real-sized displays of those early Mercury and Gemini modules, also built in St. Louis.

Our local place in aviation history started with McDonnell Aviation. Later, that became McDonnell-Douglas. And, now, McDonnell-Douglas is a part of the Boeing Company.

Many of the latest military aircraft and missiles are built in the St. Louis area. Also, components of the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station are built here.

The giant space station is a cooperative effort to 16 different countries. It's supposed to be finished in 2004.

Ten-year-old Ashley said she took her first airplane flight when she was two. That was a flight to Kansas City and back. The fifth grader said she's also been to Florida by plane.

Ashley said, "I thought about being a pilot when I was four or five. But, I don't want to be one now. I want to be either a veterinarian or a gymnast." The fifth grader said she takes gymnastic lessons.

Richard Barr

Seven-year-old Richard said the thing he liked best was the full-scale model of the cockpit of a large jet airliner. The cockpit is filled with all sorts of instruments to monitor all elements of flight.

Michael is going to be a fifth grader at Woodland Elementary in the Jennings School District. He said he'd have liked the have more examples in the video of how planes fly. "I'd like to see how the wheels come down when the plane is getting ready to land," he said.

Robert is going to be a sixth grader this falls. He summed up his thoughts by saving, "The trip was fun."

Boeing Aviation Museum tours are easy to schedule It's easy for you, your family or your school to schedule a tour at the "Magic of Flight" Prologue Room. Also, you can learn more by logging on www.boeing.com/prologueroom. To schedule summer tours during August, call (314) 232-6896 for reservations. The Prologue Room is open to the general public Tuesday through Saturday during the summer months of June, July and August. During September through May, guided school tours can be scheduled on Fridays. There is a limit of 35 for each school tour. You call for reservations also at (314) 232-6896. The tours include the action-packed video that explains the principles of flight. Then, there is the tour of the museum with guides to explain the various airplane and space exhibits. Also, kids receive exciting airplane pictures and an illustrated activity book with fun quizzes and puzzles.