News Center

From October 4th through October 22nd bring a canned good or nonperishable food item to Wings of Eagles Discovery Center and receive half off admission. All items will be donated to the 11th Annual March out for Hunger on October 23rd at Tops Market in Elmira, New York.

The move and installation of our UH-1 Huey begins the next steps for Wings of Eagles Discovery Center

What a great way to get started!!!  On Thursday, Mike Hall, President of the Discovery Center joined with County Officials to officiate over the ribbon cutting for our new facility at Wings of Eagles Discovery Center. Celebrating the arrival of our first aircraft, a Vietnam Combat veteran UH-1 Huey, Mike showed the community that we have returned and are opening up to the public following our successful Summer of Innovation.  This summer over 400 children benefited from the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs they attended while volunteers readied our new hanger and interactive classroom for general opening. We are happy to announce that starting September 18th our squadron of unique and historic aircraft will have arrived at their new home and join the Huey on display for the public to enjoy.

These aircraft can and will inspire the thousands of children who will benefit from learning – quite literally “Under the Wings of Eagles.”  As the Summer of Innovation was held free to all who attended, some of our efforts will now shift to raising the funding for next summer’s classes as well as extended day and weekend learning classes this year. Sponsorship of our returning aircraft is a great way to help us reach out fundraising goals and to recognize the service of a loved one. You can choose to have the name of a family member who served displayed at the aircraft’s exhibit for posterity.  Click below to learn more about how to sponsor an aircraft and to see the full list of our collection that spans some of the most historic years of aviation.

Additionally, in the record press coverage of our ribbon cutting, several mentions of our November Gala were announced.  As the general public becomes more aware of our expanded education mission we believe that there will be additional and expanded community support that will help us to become fully self sufficient.  Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli summed up our purpose and passion by saying, “The STEM programs offered by Wings of Eagles could lead local students to rewarding careers in technology-driven fields. Having such programs available also makes it easier to recruit businesses – and jobs – to the area.”

One of our goals is to increase our ability to reach our friends via email updates.  At no cost to yourself please consider forwarding this email to your friends and contacts and asking them to sign up to receive future Discovery Grams and consider signing up for a membership to enjoy the year round benefits from Wings of Eagles.

Our ribbon cutting was an exciting first step after nearly two years of hard work and now we look forward to welcoming our squadron to their new home and inspiring an entire future generation “Under the Wings of Eagles.”

August 29, 2012

“The first thing I always heard about Neil Armstrong was what a down to earth person he was.  That’s very uncommon among fighter pilots, who require a healthy dose of ego and the “right stuff” to survive.  He was one of my childhood heroes and I distinctly remember listening, riveted to the radio, as he and Buzz Aldrin touched down on the Sea of Tranquility.  They may have landed in a tranquil place, but it certainly wasn’t tranquil back here on Earth.  We sweated through the alarms as the hopes of our troubled Nation descended with the Eagle, attempting to land against all odds.  Then those immortal words: “Tranquility base here. The Eagle has landed.”

Wow, we put a man on the moon!

It was many years before I had the opportunity to meet Neil Armstrong and express my admiration for what he had accomplished, for the inspiration he provided in my life.  That’s when I learned that his legendary humility was sincere.  He really just wanted to be a peer, not a hero.   We chatted comfortably about flying the F-106, an experience we both shared.  It’s still my all-time favorite ride.  And I passed greetings along from our common friend, Lee Robbins, whom he remembered well from their time together at NBAA.  Shaking the hand of the first man to set foot on the moon was a magic moment that I will always cherish.

So it was with shock and special sadness that I learned of his passing.  Now, in the words of Johnny Cash,  Neil Armstrong “fly’s a starship across the universe divide”.   But he will return, again and again and again.  You got it right, Neil: “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”  Thank you for all you did for all of us!”

-Mike Hall, President/CEO of Wings of Eagles Discovery Center

Over 400 children participated in our summer educational programs

Oh what a success it was! Hats off to Alison Mandel and her team of teachers and staff who provided a memorable and constructive project based learning experience in LEGO Robotics, Young Engineers, Underwater Robotics, Rocketry and more. Over 400 children participated in our ground breaking inaugural Summer of Innovation and many great lessons were learned for next year’s event.

Our staff and teachers this year included: Catherine Case, Bobby Roe, Nicole Burt, Jason Hartman, Jason Schrage, Scott Cole, Andy Groff, Lynn Winner, Shelle Green, Maggie Miele, Dawn Thurston-Blair, JoAnn Kuentz, Heather Taylor, Matt Eisner, Alexandra Young, Casey Cacala and Neva Kelly.

Our wall of displays highlighting 150 years of aviation progress are ready for viewing

Special recognition to Ed Flesch, Director of Collection Management, and our intern Caden Cacala (pictured right) for their masterful craftsmanship while building our wall of displays that highlight 150 years of aviation progress. Ed and Caden have worked countless hours along with other volunteers and staff members to transform our new home into a welcoming and enriching space for guests to visit.