Some of us have seen the outsides of famous airplanes like the Wright 1903 Flyer, Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, or the Boeing B-29 Enola Gay. But who, other than the pilots, has seen the insides of these planes?

Featuring large-format color photographs (approximately 4’ x 7’) of cockpits from airplanes and spacecraft in the world-renowned collection of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum (NASM), this exhibition offers new views of 20 historic aircraft. Among the aircraft represented are the Wright 1903 Flyer, Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis, Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat, Supermarine Spitfire Mark VII, and the Space Shuttle Columbia.

NASM photographers Eric F. Long and Mark Avino used a 4x5 camera with a wide-angle lens covering 120 degrees to create these thrilling images. Printed nearly to scale, these photographs let viewers imagine what it’s like to sit at the controls.

At the Controls: The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Looks at Cockpits visually traces the development of cockpits and illustrates the changes and refinements in aviation technology since the first flight a century ago. From the efficiently designed instrument panel of the P-51D Mustang to the myriad switches and gauges in the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, each photograph displays advances in aviation and aeronautics from the pilot’s point of view.

Printed on flexible material that can be displayed on lightweight, freestanding structures or on exhibition wall space, each photograph is accompanied by information about the aircraft, its historical significance, and details on some of the instruments specific to each cockpit. The images of and informative text about the most extraordinary cockpit interiors in NASM’s collection appeal to flight novices as well as enthusiasts.

At the Controls: The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Book of Cockpits, Photography by Eric Long and Mark Avino; Edited by Tom Alison and Dana Bell; Boston Mills Press, 2001; Hard Cover; $39.95

Perhaps the finest collection of cockpit photos in existence, aviation enthusiasts will love At the Controls. The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum holds the world's premier collection of historic aircraft. In the book, museum photographers Eric Long and Mark Avino use creative lighting techniques and an extremely wide-angle lens mounted on a short-bodied large-format architectural camera to duplicate the sensation of actually being at the controls inside the cockpits of 45 legendary aircraft, with access not only to the instrument panels, but to the consoles as well. This 9x12 hardback book, along with the SITES exhibition, At the Controls, truly provides a pilot's-eye view.

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11.2.01

Pilot's-Eye View of Cockpits Unveiled in Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition

"At the Controls: The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Looks at Cockpits," a new traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), offers visitors a unique perspective of cockpits from some of the world's most impressive air and spacecraft. "At the Controls" will open at the Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland, Neb. on Dec. 8, and will remain on view through April 21, 2002.

"At the Controls" features 20 large-format color photographs of historically significant cockpits, such as the Wright brothers' 1903 Flyer; the "Enola Gay," a Boeing B-29 Superfortress; the Mercury "Friendship 7"; and the space shuttle "Columbia." Using a 4 by 5 camera with 120-degree wide-angle lens and a variety of lighting techniques, photographers Eric F. Long and Mark Avino have created unique images that contrast the simplicity and complexity of cockpits throughout aviation history.

Measuring approximately 4 by 7 feet, the images depict in rich and precise detail the evolution of the controls, instruments and displays used to fly these air and spacecraft. The cockpits in the exhibition were selected because their instrumentation panels vividly illustrate the development and refinement of aviation technology. Additional information and complete views of the air and spacecraft accompany each photograph.

After its viewing in Nebraska, the exhibition will continue on its five-year tour to a total of 22 institutions. A companion to the exhibition, At the Controls: The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Book of Cockpits edited by Thomas M. Alison and Dana Bell, includes forty-five of these images of aviation cockpits. The book is available through Boston Mills Press ($39.95).

"At the Controls: The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Looks at Cockpits" was developed by SITES and the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

Long is a senior photographer for the Smithsonian's Office of Imaging, Printing, and Photography at the National Air and Space Museum. During his 19-year career at the Smithsonian Institution, he has documented collections, exhibits and events for museum research and publications, and has participated in historical documentations including three presidential inaugurations and an oral history of Southern agriculture.

Avino is a chief photographer for the Office of Imaging, Printing, and Photography at the Air and Space Museum. Also with the Smithsonian Institution for 19 years, Avino has directed and supervised staff photographers who specialize in reproduction and documentation of the museum's collections, created exhibition displays, and arranged special research and publications events. Avino has also served as guest speaker and judge for Gallaudet University Department of Photography photo contests.

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum memorializes the national development of aviation and space flight. The museum maintains the largest - more than 33,500 objects - and most diverse collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world. For more information, please visit www.nasm.edu.

Each year, SITES shares the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside of Washington, D.C. One of the Smithsonian's four National Programs, SITES makes available a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown not only in museums but also wherever people live, work and play, including libraries, science centers, historical societies, community centers, botanical gardens, schools and shopping malls. In 2002, SITES will celebrate 50 years of connecting Americans to their shared cultural heritage.