FedEx and Museum of Flight tell 100-year cargo story

A FedEx 727, like the one above, was used in the Museum of Flight's Air Cargo exhibit. — A FedEx 727, like the one above, was used in the Museum of Flight’s Air Cargo exhibit.

With $1.5 million funding from FedEx, Seattle’s Museum of Flight this year opened what it calls “the world’s first air cargo exhibit.”

In 2015, the museum approached FedEx Express about constructing an exhibit chronicling the air cargo story, and FedEx agreed. It took over a year (and the deconstruction of a 727 freighter) to put the exhibit together, but the museum’s half-million annual visitors will now be able to learn something of the history of our industry. As Phil Blum, FedEx Express vice president of Fleet Development and Strategic Projects said: “The exhibit complements historic commercial aircraft in the museum and presents a major facet of the aviation industry that most airline passengers never get to see.”

Why would FedEx get involved in an exhibit about the past? Because it is looking to the future: “We’re generating awareness as to how the air cargo business has evolved during the past 100 years, while providing a glimpse into what it takes to run a worldwide logistics company,” Blum said. “By detailing the history of air cargo transportation, we aim to inspire new generations of aviation enthusiasts to potentially get involved in this dynamic and growing industry.”

Below we have a video of the exhibit, followed by a few pictures. But before we get to that, we point out that Ned Laird, Cargo Facts’ first publisher, and the founder of our parent company Air Cargo Management Group, is on the Museum of Flight Executive Committee, and was the driving force behind the project. Thanks Ned!

To learn more about the Museum of Flight, visit the website. Now, here’s the video…