May 22, 2004 (Pacoima Ca)
The Traveling Space Museum’s 1st Annual Space & Aviation Expo --co-sponsored by the Experimental Aircraft Association -- drew LA Mayoral hopeful State Senator Richard Alarcon, Councilmen Tony Gardenas, Alex Padilla, Assemblywoman Cindy Montanez, The Air National Guard and over 1,500 spectators.
Scores of local civic organizations were represented including Pacoima Beautiful, Canoga–Winnetka Rotary, Victory Outreach, San Fernando Valley 99s (a female aviation group) female aviation Explorers and others set up tents and passed out flyers to local parents and children.
The event was a true team effort with several key politicos weighing in to create the unique event. LA County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky’s office helped clear the approval for the event while American Airports Corporation helped pay for the pilots’ gasoline. Councilman Cardenas provided buses that picked up children from several local schools and Councilman Padilla provided tables, chairs and police coordination. Mayor Hahn’s Valley office provided volunteers that helped with set up and direct traffic for the event. The Mayor’s office also provided a box lunch for all volunteers. State Senator Richard Alarcon provided his office as a meeting place, which helped, bring the parties together quickly. His Senior Aide Alvin Kusumoto, just back from active duty was invaluable in the overall planning and arranged for the Air National Color-Guard.
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A festive carnival atmosphere was created with live music, a DJ, balloons, giant slides and the Orion Flight Simulator serving as an additional attraction. A Street Band named Ballyrag entertained the crowd.
303 kids received free airplane and helicopter rides from 25 volunteer pilots—some from as far away as Riverside Ca. The 303 rides set a record for the largest single-day Young Eagles event in Los Angeles history.
Local government leaders and Air National Guard members honored pioneer aviatrix Wally Funk and teenage astronaut hopeful Justin Houchin at the space
and Aviation Expo Saturday at Whiteman Airport
Hundreds of children also showed up to participate in the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles program and get their free airplane ride.
The educational nonprofit Traveling Space Museum Inc. put on the event to bring space and aviation exhibits to Pacoima area children and to give them their first flight.
[Over} 300 came the largest number the Young Eagles program has ever flown out of Whiteman.
Funk, 64, was one of the Mercury 13 female trainees denied astronaut status in the 1960s and in 1974 became the first female investigator for the National Transportation safety Board.
Houchin, 17 of Sunland is the first teenager to fly a military jet at the National Test pilot School in Mojave and hopes to become the first teenager in space.
Both are preparing to go into space the next year.
