Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Receives $1 Million Gift From AAR Corp., Its Chairman and Its Founder

The National Air and Space Museum received a $1 million gift from AAR Corp., its chairman and CEO David P. Storch and the family of its founder Ira J. Eichner. The gift supports the construction of the new Design Hangar in the transformed “How Things Fly” exhibition at the flagship building in Washington, D.C., scheduled to open in 2024. The gift will also provide funding for programming in advance of and during construction, and will expand educational opportunities to students and teachers across the country with the creation of an online teacher portal.

“The support of AAR, David Storch and Ira Eichner’s family is crucial to expanding the footprint of our interactive space and programs by building on the success of the Design Hangar as a makerspace where visitors can create or build something with their own hands,” said Ellen Stofan, the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the National Air and Space Museum. “This gift will help fuel the passions and imaginations of the next generation of aerospace visionaries and explorers.”

In appreciation of the gift, the museum will rename the space the “AAR Design Hangar.” A previous gift from AAR Corp. and Storch funded the first iteration of the Design Hangar and the development of programming in the space. Since its opening in 2014, almost 62,000 visitors have engaged in hands-on learning experiences in core STEM topics in the Design Hangar. With a high average visit time of 30 minutes, this unique makerspace deepens visitors’ understanding of concepts in physics and engineering. The immersive activities in the exhibition motivate visitors to ask questions, make observations and collaborate with each other, making “How Things Fly” one of the museum’s most popular exhibitions.

​About AAR
AAR is a global aftermarket solutions company that employs more than 6,000 people in over 20 countries. Based in Wood Dale, Illinois, AAR supports commercial aviation and government customers through two operating segments: Aviation Services and Expeditionary Services. AAR’s Aviation Services include inventory management; parts supply; OEM parts distribution; aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul; engineering services and component repair. AAR’s Expeditionary Services include airlift operations; mobility systems; and command and control centers in support of military and humanitarian missions. More information can be found at www.aarcorp.com.

Media contact: Daniela Pietsch, Vice President Corporate Marketing & Communications, at editor@aarcorp.com or +1 630-227-5100. 

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