Tulsa Air and Space Museum will host 2021 Aviator Ball: Celebrating 50th Anniversary of Apollo 13 & Apollo 14The Tulsa Air and Space Museum announces the opportunity for visitors to support the museum by sponsoring tables or purchasing tickets to attend the 2021 Aviator Ball event, with presenting sponsor, American Airlines.
The event will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 13 and Apollo 14 with an All-"Star" Astronaut cast consisting of Oklahoma Native General Thomas P. Stafford, Fred Haise and Charlie Duke. Other Apollo astronauts have been invited, but not confirmed at the time of this release. Another Oklahoman astronaut, Dr. John B. Herrington, Chickasaw Citizen, will be the Master of Ceremonies. Herrington served as Mission Specialist on Shuttle Mission STS-113, and performed three space walks.
Apollo 14 was crewed by Oklahoman, Stuart "Stu" Roosa, who carried tree seeds into space that began the Moon Tree Foundation, now led by Stuart's daughter, Rosemary Roosa. Rosemary will be in attendance representing her father and the Moon Tree Foundation legacy. Two Moon Trees will be planted with ceremony, and one Moon Tree will be auctioned at the event.
Apollo 13 crew member, Fred Haise, graduated from Oklahoma University before being selected as an astronaut. Haise later performed test landings with the Space Shuttle Enterprise, after being released from the back of a 747 jet that NASA purchased from American Airlines, the event Presenting Sponsor.
Charles Duke, among his many accomplishments, served on the crew of Apollo 16, and stepped onto the moon surface to perform experiments and collect lunar samples. A Moon Rock will be on display at the event, on loan from Johnson Space Center.
The event evening will also include a memorable and entertaining panel Q&A session where members of the audience can ask the astronauts questions, following a lively and entertaining live auction where the astronauts will assist the auctioneer with their humor and exciting stories.
"The Aviator Ball: Apollo and Wine" event will include an outdoor cocktail hour from 5pm to 5:45 pm in which guests can mingle with special guests and view several static aircraft including a Blackhawk helicopter, corporate jets, WWII P-51 Mustang, the one-of-a-kind Spartan Executive Model 12, a Vietnam-era Huey helicopter, and other unique aircraft. The runway near the museum is under construction, so a flight demonstration will not be possible this year.
Live music from the Tulsa Community College Signature Symphony, and a duet from the Texas band of Spur 327 will provide entertainment, featuring original pieces. Other entertainment features include a silent auction, Ultimo Cigar hand-rolling demonstration and an event merchandise area featuring exclusive autographed models and other space exploration memorabilia.
"The special guests attending this event are phenomenal people with amazing stories that have shaped our world with historic heroism, affected pop culture and become role models for multiple generations" says Executive Director, Tonya Blansett. Capacity to this event is limited, so early ticket sales or table sponsorships are highly encouraged.
Many of the rocket, spacecraft and aircraft models that will be autographed and available for sale were 3-D printed by sponsor company Rapid Application Group, LLC. in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, which also provides 3-D printed parts for many different private space exploration companies. Several of the custom 3-D printed and detail painted models will be one-of-a-kind, not available commercially.
Ticket prices and museum hours can be found here. Tickets and event table sponsorships can also be purchased online. The 2021 Aviator Ball will be held at the museum, located on the north end of the Tulsa International Airport: 3624 N. 74th East Ave. Tulsa, OK 74115
Proceeds of the event support the Tulsa Air and Space Museum's mission of preserving Oklahoma's aerospace heritage to inspire science-based learning through discovery and sustainability.
posted 04-22-2021 03:24 PM
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