Paper Airplanes
Upcoming dates:
Wednesday, December 26, 11 AM
Everyone loves paper airplanes. We turn into test pilots just by folding sheets of paper. We make them to see how fast they will go or how far they will fly, we even try to do aerobatics with them.
One of the top paper airplane makers in the country (and world record holder), John Collins, will join us for an expert demonstration of the wonder, delight and aeronautic capabilities of hand made paper gliders. John is world distance paper airplane record holder and a master paper airplane builder. John has written a number of books on building paper airplanes that will be available at the event and John will make sure he personalizes it just for you.
John’s discussions and demonstrations will last approximately 45 minutes. No reservations are required and the event is included with your museum admission.
John’s creative designs include planes so light that simply holding it above your hand and walking makes it fly. He has planes that perform unique aerobatics and even planes that become two when thrown in the air.
“Sled Driver” – Brian Shul
Saturday, December 29, 11:00 am
Presentation and book signing by Brian Shul
Event included with Museum admission.
The Hiller Aviation Museum welcomes back Air Force SR-71 pilot Brian Shul. One of only 93 pilots who qualified to fly “The Sled,” Brian flew the SR-71 Blackbird for four years. His book, Sled Driver: Flying the World’s Fastest Jet, provides a unique aviator-eye view of this remarkable flying machine.
Join us Saturday December 30 at 11 am as he shares his experiences in person in a special presentation at the Museum.
As an Air Force fighter pilot, Brian Shul was shot down in the Vietnam War and severely burned in the ensuing crash. Initially given up for dead, he was rescued and spent one year in hospitals and was told his flying days were over.
Amazingly, Brian returned to active duty flying and culminated his Air Force career by flying the Top Secret spy plane, the SR-71. Flying the world’s fastest and highest flying aircraft required an astronaut physical and Brian made Air Force history when he passed with no waivers.
Drone Meet
Event Schedule
Sunday, November 18, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Relay Race
Sunday, December 30, 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Build & Fly
Sunday, January 27, 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Code & Fly
All competitors must be at least 8 years old to fly at the Drone Meet.
Fly a multi-rotor drone in one of several different skill-specific competitions held in the Hiller Aviation Museum Drone Plex.
Join a Drone Competition!
Fly with the best of the best in a thrilling series of multirotor competitions. Each Drone Meet event focuses on a different skill in quadcopter flight, and utilizes the Hiller Aviation Museum’s Drone Plex facility. Drone Meet events include:
- Preflight briefing
- Practice with a drone flight simulator
- Competition using a Museum-provided Drone appropriate for the event
Each Drone Meet features rounds at 1, 2 and 3 PM. Events are included with Museum admission, but space for each round is limited. Competitors must register at the Invention Lab (10 AM – 1 PM) or Drone Plex (1 PM – 4 PM) on the day of competition.
Event Descriptions
Build & Fly: Construct a flyable drone using LEGO-style blocks. Connect the circuit, sync the controller, and take to the air flying a newly-constructed drone!
Code & Fly: Use drag-and-drop programing to code a simple flight routine for a Parrot Mambo drone. Launch the aircraft and watch it complete its mission autonomously!
Relay Race: Fly like the air racers of old, completing a circuit around pylons spaced around the Drone Plex. Fly in teams to complete the race without crashing ahead of the competition!
Noon Years Eve Celebration!
Presented by Bay Area Parent Magazine
Monday, December 31
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Kids and parents, come celebrate the New Year with music, activities, face painting and a countdown balloon drop at noon!
Event included with museum admission.
Advanced tickets are available on Eventbrite.
Advanced purchase is recommend, the event may sell out.
Schedule of Activities*
10:00-10:30 Lori & RJ Music for all ages
10:30 –11:00 Broadway Babies & Kids
11:00-11:40 The Wizard of Ahhs! Magic Show
11:45-NOON Lori & RJ
Countdown to BALLOON DROP
12:15-12:45 The Puppet Circus
12:45-1:00 Wrap It Up with Lori & RJ
*Schedule subject to change
Stage Entertainment
Lori & RJ – Cotton Candy Express Music
Broadway Babies & Kids
The Wizard of Ahhs! Magic Show
The Puppet Circus
Event Activities
Face Painting
Obstacle Course
Jump House
Drone flying in the Drone Plex
Imagination Playground
Flight Sim Zone
Invention Lab
Exhibitors and Food
Bay Area Parent Magazine
Jumpin’ Giraffe
Provident Credit Union
Food: Nob Hill Pizza & Hot Dogs
Sponsored by:
Happy Birds
Upcoming dates:
Wednesday, January 2, 2019 11 AM
Event included with Museum admission.
Join a feathered frenzy with the Happy Birds! This elite team of parrots, macaws and cockatoos takes wing for a dazzling performance featuring wild and trained behaviors of all sorts. Arrive early for best seating and take flight on the wild side with these popular parrots and their friends.
These avian performers have been featured on The Tonight Show, Pet Star and The Ellen Show. Their repertoire includes: animal impersonations, singing opera, crying like a baby, and even a song called Clementine!
You will see fantastic birds showing incredible skills, including:
- RIDING A BIKE
- THE SHELL GAME
- RIDING A SCOOTER
- TALKING AND SINGING SONGS
- PLAYING BASKETBALL
- ANIMAL IMPERSONATIONS
- RAISING THE FLAG
- 360 DEGREE SWING
- SKATEBOARDING
- FLYING TRICKS
- OPENING DRINKS
- AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
- AND MUCH MORE!
Open Cockpit Day
Upcoming dates:
Saturday, January 5, 2019 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Event included with Museum admission.
Join us for a unique opportunity to gain a pilot’s eye perspective on many of the Hiller Aviation Museum’s aircraft. The McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, Boeing 747 and Hiller H-12 cockpits are always open, but on Open Cockpit Days the doors and canopies of many additional aircraft in the Museum’s collection swing open to allow visitors a special chance to sit inside and explore the controls and instruments needed to fly these aircraft.
Sit in the cockpits of the following aircraft:
- Grumman HU-16 Albatross
- Boeing 737-100
- Boeing 747
- Cessna 177 Cardinal
- Aero L-39 Albatross
- Bell 47D
Sponsored by
Kids’ Carnival
Sunday, December 9, 10 AM – 12 PM
Sunday, January 13, 10 AM – 12 PM
Sunday, February 17, 10 AM – 12 PM
Event included with Museum admission. No charge for Museum Members.
Join the excitement with special activities just for kids! Aircraft checkouts, cockpit exploration, glider and helicopter construction and more are just some of the activities available at each Kids’ Carnival.
Advance tickets available on Eventbrite
Kids’ Carnival Activities
Indoor Kids’ Carnival
December 9, January 13, February 17
- Vertical Wind Tunnels
- Paper Helicopters
- Scorpion Helicopter Checkout
- Glider Construction
- Penguin Airplane Assembly
- Rig-a-ma-Jig Construction
Sponsored by
The Complete History of U.S. Cruise Missiles
Saturday, January 19, 11:00 am
Presentation and Book Signing by Bill Yenne
Event included with Museum admission.
The year 2018 celebrates the centennial of U.S. Cruise Missiles. In 1918 Col. Hap Arnold, future father of the U.S. Air Force, was sent overseas to France to prepare for the operational deployment of vast clouds of unmanned Kettering Bugs to be used against the German Army. This book begins with an overview covering the important subject of long-range cruise missiles, providing readers with a unique look at early programs leading to the development of the first primitive cruise missiles. Having appropriately covered the history and development of cruise missiles, the focus shifts to today’s premier strategic weapon system, the BGM-109 missile that effectively checkmated the Soviet Union and ended the Cold War. In-depth text describes how this highly advanced winged vehicle evolved to become the world’s primary operational unmanned weapon today, with the Tomahawk family of cruise missiles currently numbering more than 3,000. Detailed, yet with easy-to-understand text, this book explains how and why this weapon was developed and is still being utilized in an impressive ongoing combat career.
Employing a considerable archive of U.S. cruise missile data and material amassed during his extensive research, author Bill Yenne has created a compelling work containing a wealth of previously unpublished photographs plus detailed technical information that is simply unavailable in any other product on the market today.
Author Bio and Location:
A prolific author, Bill Yenne has written more than three dozen books on historical topics, as well as several novels. He has contributed to encyclopedias of both world wars, and has been featured in documentaries on the History Channel, the National Geographic Channel, the Smithsonian Channel and ARD German Television. The “Wall Street Journal” notes that Yenne writes “with a cinematic vividness,” and Gen. Wesley Clark, former Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, called Yenne’s recent biography of Alexander the Great, the “best yet.” Yenne, whose books have been included in Amazon’s “100 Best Books of the Year,” currently lives in San Francisco, CA.
Drone Meet
Event Schedule
Sunday, November 18, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Relay Race
Sunday, December 30, 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Build & Fly
Sunday, January 27, 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Code & Fly
All competitors must be at least 8 years old to fly at the Drone Meet.
Fly a multi-rotor drone in one of several different skill-specific competitions held in the Hiller Aviation Museum Drone Plex.
Join a Drone Competition!
Fly with the best of the best in a thrilling series of multirotor competitions. Each Drone Meet event focuses on a different skill in quadcopter flight, and utilizes the Hiller Aviation Museum’s Drone Plex facility. Drone Meet events include:
- Preflight briefing
- Practice with a drone flight simulator
- Competition using a Museum-provided Drone appropriate for the event
Each Drone Meet features rounds at 1, 2 and 3 PM. Events are included with Museum admission, but space for each round is limited. Competitors must register at the Invention Lab (10 AM – 1 PM) or Drone Plex (1 PM – 4 PM) on the day of competition.
Event Descriptions
Build & Fly: Construct a flyable drone using LEGO-style blocks. Connect the circuit, sync the controller, and take to the air flying a newly-constructed drone!
Code & Fly: Use drag-and-drop programing to code a simple flight routine for a Parrot Mambo drone. Launch the aircraft and watch it complete its mission autonomously!
Relay Race: Fly like the air racers of old, completing a circuit around pylons spaced around the Drone Plex. Fly in teams to complete the race without crashing ahead of the competition!
Members-Only Appreciation Reception
A special evening for those 21 and over
Friday, February 1, 2019
5-7 pm
Museum members over 21 are invited enjoy a free glass of wine or beer, light hors d’oeuvres, and live music. Come celebrate a special evening with a variety of open cockpits! See the Museum after hours in a whole new light!
Members are free. Members may bring guests for a $5 donation per person.
