Worth the Drive :: Flight Works Alabama
In July, my family took a quick trip to Gulf Shores to check out OWA and enjoy the beach. It was originally our plan to stop by the USS Alabama on our drive home, but that day ended up being unbearably hot, and we knew our youngest would just whine the whole time. During breakfast, we did a quick search for indoor activities in Mobile and came across the website for Flight Works Alabama. My husband, an engineer, has always been up for any plane-related museum, and as a result, my girls have learned to love such museums as well, so we decided to check it out.
The museum is pretty small, equivalent to the size of an Airbus A320, but this is very intentional. Flight Works Alabama is on the grounds of the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility, and the museum highlights all of the stages of building the A320. Despite its size, the museum is filled with awesome interactive exhibits. There is a flight control video game, a flight simulation challenge, and a Virtual Reality booth. There is also an interactive tool gallery that allows visitors to practice using many of the tools that are used to build the plane and to explore the different parts of the plane. My girls really enjoyed challenging one another to the Rivet Race. At the end of the museum, visitors can climb into an open plane cabin and get an up-close look at a real cockpit.
While my kids were most interested in the exhibits that allowed them to play and engage, I was particularly impressed with the value the museum placed on every aspect that goes into building the plane, including an exhibit that highlighted the various jobs and careers that are connected to the creation of an Airbus.
In addition to exploring the museum, visitors can also tour the manufacturing facilities. This is not something my family did because our plans were last minute, but we plan to take the tour the next time we are in Mobile. We were so glad we discovered this little gem and definitely recommend others check it out.
