The Leonardo's first original exhibit set to take 'FLIGHT'

SALT LAKE CITY — "Once you have tasted flight," Leonardo da Vinci wrote, "you will forever walk the Earth with your eyes turned skyward. For there you have been, and there you will always long to return."

It's a quote Alexandra Hesse, executive director at The Leonardo, said she loves.

"I think it’s such an appropriate quote because there’s something so compelling about flying,” Hesse said.

"FLIGHT," the first original exhibit created by The Leonardo, will feature a fully restored C-131 military transport airplane when it opens Aug. 6. The first piece of the aircraft — a 28-foot-long spar — arrived at the downtown museum Monday.

"We’ve welcomed a lot of cool exhibits to this building before, but never an airplane," Hesse said with a laugh.

A crane moved the plane part from a flatbed truck to the sidewalk outside The Leonardo, where forklifts carefully wheeled the piece through the door. Other pieces of the airplane were scheduled to arrive later Monday and Tuesday.

When fully restored, the airplane will be 18 feet tall and 79 feet long, with a 105-foot wingspan.

“We really wanted to tie more of our content back to Leonardo di Vinci," Hesse said. "Flight was one of his lifelong passions.”

The C-131 had to be moved by police escort from Arizona to Utah. To bring the plane to the museum, the aircraft was separated into three pieces — the wings, the body and the spar.

The challenge was getting the pieces into The Leonardo. The museum partnered with Jacobsen Construction to maneuver the plane parts through a small door on the north side of the building. The construction company had to cut into the existing structure to create space for the airplane.

"It just barely fits in the space. The wings are a matter of inches on either side of the wall. It’s going to really fill up the space and be amazing," exhibit coordinator Marissa DeSimone said.

Museum visitors will be able to explore over, under and inside the large transport aircraft.

"We want people to learn how it works," said Andrew Parker, chief marketing officer at The Leonardo.

"FLIGHT" also will feature a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 jet fighter and flight simulators that use programs professional pilots train on, Parker said.

"We have two completely unique, customized flight simulators built for this exhibit," he said. "You can actually get in and feel what it’s like to have a plane take off. You get to actually do the taking off and land it."

The exhibit will also include information about the history and technology humankind has invented for flight.

“Our exhibit is really more about the spirit and determination to fly as opposed to the aircrafts themselves,” Hesse said.

Admittance to the exhibit comes with general admission, unlike traveling exhibits that have been hosted at The Leonardo. General admission is $19.95 for adults, $10.95 for students and senior citizens, and $8.95 for children ages 3-12.

"I’m really hoping it inspires a lot of curiosity and interest and excitement for families," Hesse said.

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