Flight

PLANE TO SEE Despite claims from folks in East Texas that a Pittsburg preacher named Burrell Cannon created the first operational aircraft in 1902 (see “Two Wings and a Prayer”), Austin’s Centennial of Flight Celebration observes the Wright brothers’ December 1903 takeoff. Even so, the commemorative event, held on January 15, will focus on Texas’ history in the air. Start the day inside the Capitol, where panel displays of text and photos will present a state history of military, commercial, and space aviation. Given its seven-foot wingspan, you won’t be able to miss Lockheed Martin’s model of an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which will sit in the center of the ground floor. At noon, aim your eyes at the skies above the Capitol for a vintage-plane flyover. A few blocks away, the IMAX theater at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum will be screening the movie The Magic of Flight. And if you haven’t been able to swing by Space Center Houston lately, you’re in luck: NASA will provide a “Benefits of Space” exhibit trailer across the street from the museum. (See Austin: Other Events; and Houston: Points of Interest.)