Pancho Barnes Visits the Spruce Goose (again)!
Last Updated: Wednesday, 12 August 2015 04:28 Nick Spark Hits: 1356
If you've read the Production Journal entry from February of last year, you may remember that our friend Barbara Rowland shared a wonderful story about Pancho when we interviewed her two years ago. Namely, that she accompanied Pancho on a trip to Long Beach, California, to meet up with Howard Hughes. At that time, Hughes was considering donating his HK-1 super plane -- known as the "Spruce Goose" -- to an aviation museum. Pancho'd apparently heard about his plans, and decided to lobby him on behalf of the fledgling Antelope Valley Aero Museum. According to Rowland, Howard Hughes actually took them to see the aircraft in its hangar. "I had no idea who Howard Hughes was," Rowland admitted to us with a laugh. "I had no idea!" She could be pardoned her ignorance, as she was a young woman at the time. But few people nowadays, in the wake of The Aviator, could claim they'd never heard of the man or his amazing plane.
Now, we have the pleasure to announce that something really special is in the works! On S
aturday, July 11th, Amanda Pope and I will be in McMinnville, Oregon, home of the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum and ... drum roll please ... the Spruce Goose. We'll be showing The Legend of Pancho Barnes in the IMAX Theater, and hopefully getting the grand tour of one of history's great aircraft. We know it won't be as amazing a tour as the one Barbara Rowland had, but probably still very memorable!!
Tickets are available through the Museum's special events department. Simply call (503) 434-4023, or email events(AT)sprucegoose.org You can also download a flier via the Museum's website here.