FORT WORTH, Texas — Visitors to the newly renovated American Airlines’ C.R. Smith Museum can sit at the controls of an MD-80 cockpit.
In a simulated operations center, they can make judgment calls about whether to send a virtual aircraft through bad weather.
The recently completed multimillion-dollar renovation of the museum along Texas 360 in northeast Fort Worth is aimed at making the whole experience more hands-on.
“What we wanted to do with this renovation, we wanted to refocus the experience to give visitors a greater insight into the operations of an airline and the people that run it every day,” said Uli Das, museum executive director. “We also wanted to make it significantly more interactive. Before this renovation, the museum was really nice, but more static.”
The museum is governed by its own nonprofit board of directors, and is named after Cyrus Rowlett Smith, who served as the airline’s chief executive from 1934-68 and 1973-74.
Airline and museum officials declined to disclose precisely how much the renovation cost. It was funded by gifts from American Airlines, aircraft manufacturer Boeing and model aircraft maker PacMin.
The renovation also will give visitors a chance to get an up-close look at the new $300 million American Airlines headquarters, which is being built adjacent to the museum and is scheduled to open next year. The new campus, also known as the Robert L Crandall Global Support Campus, will house roughly 12,000 of American’s roughly 25,000 North Texas employees, and will feature a town square, bike paths and other amenities.
“The museum connects us with the community,” said Jonathan Pierce, American director of campus culture and change. “It also preserves American Airlines history and brings together all our team members as sort of a cultural rock.”
Also among the new features is a baggage loading exhibit, where guests can try their hand at loading up an aircraft against the clock.
The museum typically draws 25,000 to 38,000 visitors per year, and also performs aviation education outreach at Fort Worth-area schools.
