Jaunted

After a thorough screening by the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane—which is in several pieces—was sent to the Aviation Museum. Once the engines are given the OK, they’ll join the rest of the parts. If you’re a fan of the TV show Lost, you could almost mistake the Miracle plane, with its visible damage and broken pieces, for Oceanic Flight 815.

The Miracle on the Hudson plane may dominate the museum, but there’s much more to the exhibit than just the vessel. Because the flight’s destination was Charlotte, many of the passengers live in the area and have contributed to a video installation where they are interviewed about their experiences. They even have periodic meetups where survivors can chat with museum attendees and volunteers, including one where passengers sit in their original seats. Eek!

There’s also a gorgeous silent film—made of photographs shown in rapid-fire succession—that depicts the plane being lifted out of the Hudson. Finally, the exhibit includes a detailed explanation of how the plane was restored and brought to Charlotte, complete with cute pictures of kids climbing on the fuselage as it sat on a flatbed truck.

You’ll exit the museum through the gift shop, where there are lots of fun aviation-inspired gifts. We got an airplane pilot rubber ducky named Sully, but you can pick up a book about kinds of planes or the history of the Air Force if you’re into more intellectual fare.

[Photo: Lilit M.]