The Cradle of Aviation Museum will mark the official kickoff of its America 250 Celebration, an initiative of exhibits, programs, and experiences planned throughout 2026, in advance of the national commemoration on July 4, 2026, marking 250 years of American innovation, ingenuity, and independence.
The first event of this celebration is the unveiling of a landmark historic artwork: The Aline Rhonie Mural: The Pre-Lindbergh Era of American Aviation. A press event will take place at 11:00 am on Tuesday, February 24, officially launching the Museum’s America 250 programming and highlighting the people, places, and innovations that shaped American aviation and aerospace—with Long Island at the center of that story.
Created by pilot and artist Aline Rhonie, the mural depicts the pioneers of early American aviation and chronicles the formative years of flight from 1909 through 1927. Originally painted on the wall of Hangar F at Roosevelt Field, the work returns near its original home, honoring the men and women whose achievements helped establish Long Island as the Cradle of Aviation.
Measuring 100 feet in length, the mural took four years to complete and portrays over 500 aviators and aircraft, offering a comprehensive visual record of early American aviation.
The Long Island Early Fliers Foundation preserved the mural and later donated it to Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, which served as its steward for many years before its return to public view at the Cradle of Aviation Museum.
The unveiling also marks the start of additional programming planned for 2026, including new exhibitions, speaker series, film screenings, interactive and educational experiences, and public and family programs tied to America’s 250th anniversary.
About the Cradle of Aviation Museum
Located on Museum Row in Garden City, the Cradle of Aviation Museum is home to over 75 air and spacecraft spanning more than 100 years of aviation history. It is also home to Long Island’s only Giant Screen Dome Theater—the Catholic Health Sky Theater Planetarium. For more information, visit www.cradleofaviation.org or call (516) 572-4111.
About Long Island Early Fliers Foundation
Founded in 1956, the Long Island Early Fliers Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and sharing Long Island’s aviation heritage. The Foundation supports education, research, and archival efforts that document the region’s role in early flight and aerospace history.
For more information, visit www.liefef.org
Founded in 1932, Vaughn College is a private, nonprofit four-year college enrolling more than 1,300 students in master’s, bachelor’s, and associate degree programs in engineering, technology, management, and aviation, offered on its New York City campus and online.
For more information, visit www.vaughn.edu