The Mary Kay and Michael Hallman Oral History Program was established in 2013 to document the unique stories and experiences of individuals involved in aviation and manned spaceflight history, from pilots and engineers to executives. These personal stories span much of the modern history of flight, from the Golden Age of Aviation in the 1930s, to the evolution of jet aircraft in the mid-twentieth century, to the ongoing developments of the Space Age. The interviews provide a firsthand perspective on the advancements of flight technology and how that evolving technology influenced people’s careers and day-to-day lives. The primary goal of the Oral History Program is to capture and preserve these stories, in their own words, through video and audio recordings and full interview transcriptions. These historical items are then digitally preserved and maintained for current and future generations. They are also used to complement the Museum’s dynamic exhibits and are made available directly to researchers via the Museum’s Research Center.

The program, which is overseen by the Oral History Program Administrator, aims to complete at least a dozen interviews a year. A concentrated effort is made to interview a diverse pool of candidates that represent many different aspects of the aviation and aerospace fields. Interviewees include test pilots, civil pilots, military veterans, flight attendants, engineers, flight and ground crews, and astronauts. Interview questions are designed based on information from a biographical questionnaire completed by interviewees and research information obtained by the interviewer. Standard interview questions are used at the beginning and end of each interview and interviewees have input in what they do and do not want to discuss. Interviews are conducted by dedicated staff and volunteers from The Museum of Flight and generally conducted on site at the Museum. Once the interviews are completed, members of the Museum’s Exhibits department edit the videos. The transcripts are reviewed and copy-edited by members of the Collections department after they are received from Pioneer Transcription Services. These historical items are then digitally preserved and maintained for public access.