Get a behind-the-scenes look at the National Weather Center (NWC), located on the campus of the University of Oklahoma. Comprised of multiple federal, state, and local agencies as well as academic, research, and development partnerships, the NWC works to improve understanding of events occurring in the Earth’s atmosphere over a wide range of time and space scales.
The NWC houses 500 people, including research scientists, operational meteorologists and climatologists, engineers, technicians, support staff, and graduate and undergraduate students.
During the tour, guests will visit the Observation Deck at the top of the building, the School of Meteorology, NOAA National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center, NOAA National Weather Service Norman forecast offices, NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory research spaces, the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, and the Oklahoma Mesonet.
Also, the Atrium on the first floor features Science on a Sphere, the Weather Wall (an immersive seven-screen Liquid Galaxy display), props from the movie Twister, the Flying Cow Café, and, weather-permitting, the research vehicles in the Vehicle Bay.
This tour is handicap accessible, and is recommended for children, grade 3 and up.
Tours fill up quickly and each tour is limited to 35 attendees.
The Cessna Pilots Society will host a tour of Textron Aviation in Independence, KS where fifty lucky AOPA Fly-In attendees will get up close and personal with aircraft in the making. You’ll visit the detailing and paint areas, walk through the assembly line, and see the various stages of aircraft production, including the final delivery hangar. Lunch is included with this fly-out.
Fly out to Textron Aviation on your own, or make it a stop as you drive to the AOPA Fly-In at Norman, OK. You must arrive at the Textron Facility between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. and be on the ground before 10:00 a.m. when the tour begins.
The Textron Aviation Tour is limited to 50 participants.