Space flight souvenir, training with airshow star up for bid

Accompanying astronauts Mike Melvill and Brian Binnie for their groundbreaking flights above the atmosphere on SpaceShipOne was a $2 bill. Now that autographed $2 bill is up for bid in the AOPA Foundation’s A Night for Flight auction to benefit general aviation.

Bidders can also compete for a day of aerobatic training with airshow legend Sean D. Tucker at his Tutima Academy of Aviation Safety. For a more down-to-earth experience, they can bid on an insider’s tour of the PBS NewsHour.

The SpaceShipOne team won the $10 million Ansari X prize for trailblazing the field of commercial space travel when it became the first private team to build and launch a spacecraft capable of carrying three people to 100 kilometers above the earth's surface twice within two weeks. Melvill and Binnie were aboard the spacecraft for the first and second X prize flights, respectively—and the $2 bill was aboard for both.

More than 80 million fans have seen Sean D. Tucker’s aerobatic performances, and now one will have a chance to join the National Aviation Hall of Fame inductee for a day of aerobatic training. The winning bidder will spend a day with Tucker at the Mesa Del Ray airport in King City, Calif., with training tailored to that person’s skill and comfort level—whether it’s gentle loops and rolls or full-out power aerobatics. As part of the experience, Tucker has also offered to take the winning bidder to Heavenly Ski Resort on Lake Tahoe.

For an insider’s look at newsmakers in the nation’s capital, another bidder will tour Jim Lehrer’s newsroom, have his or her picture taken on the set, and sit in the high-definition control room during a taping of the PBS NewsHour. The experience also comes with a signed copy of Lehrer’s latest novel, as well as other NewsHour items.  

See what other items are up for bid in A Night for Flight auction.

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