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Friends of Flying Santa, Inc. was formed in 1997 to help ensure the future of the annual Christmas flights to New England’s USCG units and lighthouses. The aerial visits of Flying Santa to lighthouses and lifesaving stations have been a New England tradition since 1929. Capt. William Wincapaw of Friendship, Maine – an aviation pioneer – began the flights as a gesture of recognition to the dedicated lighthouse keepers and their families as well as the crews of the lifesaving stations. Capt. Wincapaw and his son, Bill, Jr., continued the flights for close to two decades. The father and son team eventually recruited legendary author and historian Edward Rowe Snow to assist them with their expanding list of lights and boat stations. After Capt. Wincapaw’s passing in 1947, the mantle was passed to Mr. Snow, who faithfully carried on the tradition for over four decades. With the help of his wife Anna-Myrle and their daughter, Dolly, the isolated residents of lighthouses throughout North America continued to receive visits from the “aerial St. Nick”.

Check out the Friends of Flying Santa website

Many thanks to MASM Steering Committee member Glenn Block for donating the airline seats!

Glenn and wife Kristin brought them on their visit today.

September 18, 2020 with the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce.

Ribbon Cutting in the days of Covid 19 are simple events.

Frank Sorz, a Boston based Jet Blue Airbus A320/321 pilot, graciously donated a Jet Blue First Officer’s uniform and a Jet Blue Airbus 320 model to the Massachusetts Air and Space Museum.

Barbara Jagla, curator, was on hand to gratefully accept the donation for the beginnings of the Massachusetts commercial aviation exhibit.

Jet Blue is proud to be a member of the Cape and Island community with seasonal flights to Hyannis, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.  They are serious about aircraft and terminal cleanliness and have the middle seat on all aircraft blocked until at least October to provide customers “healthy” space.

Georgia Pappas participated in the selection process for this year’s National Aeronautics Assoc. Collier Award, which will be presented to Boeing Team for the successful development of Boeing X-37B, which is the world’s only autonomous, reusable spaceplane.

“The Collier Trophy is awarded annually for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year.”

Press Release

Anne Bridge Baddour began her aviation career in 1953 at Revere Aviation, Revere, Massachusetts. She further trained at Learjet training school in Connecticut and at Flight Safety, Wichita Kansas. She holds an airline transport pilot license with Sel, Mel, SES ratings and an AAS from Pine Manor College. 

Anne has flown more than 40 different types of aircraft, from helicopters to fixed-wing, prop, turboprop, jets, including an F3D and an F/A 18. She is qualified in 32 different aircraft and has more than 2,700 hours of flight time. 

Anne worked as a research pilot for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory Flight Test Facility, doing airborne research for the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration. She was an early tester of the Global Positioning System (GPS). The aircraft she flew included a DeHavilland Twin Otter, Beechcraft King Air, Twin Cessna 421, Beechcraft Bonanza, Cessna 172, Navajo Chieftan and Beechcraft 1900 Airliner. She was a pilot with MIT Lincoln Laboratory for more than 20 years, and was their first woman pilot.   And more…..Come visit the exhibit!