Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Photos from events all around the area
A magical flight and Christmas cheer await good girls and boys this year as Santa Claus arrives via helicopter on Saturday, Dec. 9, at West Chester’s American Helicopter Museum and Education Center (AHMEC). Santa lands at 11 a.m., but SantaFest officially begins at 10 a.m. with face painting, a Christmas movie, music by Makin’ Music and refreshments.
This year’s theme is Super Heroes, so kids can come dressed as their favorite Super Heroes and win a prize. They can make ornaments for our Super Hero Christmas tree and take an ornament home, too! Mature guests can join the fun by wearing their favorite “ugly” Christmas sweaters.
Paws for People, a nonprofit pet therapy organization that recruits, trains, certifies, and places therapy teams in DE, MD, PA and NJ, will bring Sawyer Santa Paws and some of his canine pals. Local author Linda Milanese Kerschner will read and autograph her adorable children’s book, Cheerful Chopper to the Rescue! Petey Possum’s Hangout will sell cute, educational gifts.
AHMEC has a new program to make holiday shopping even easier entitled, Adopt-A-Copter, that aims to educate about helicopters and their contributions while offering a chance to learn about several of the museum’s aircraft. Six copters are available for symbolic adoption. Each one costs $50.00 plus $1.00 per adoption for shipping and handling and comes with an Official Adoption Kit that contains a Certificate of Adoption, glossy photo with details about the adopted helicopter, interesting facts about helicopters and paper helicopter cutouts.
Regular museum admission applies and includes a photo opportunity with Santa, so bring a camera! Helicopter rides start at 11:30 a.m. and cost $60.00 per person. Contact AHMEC at 610-436-9600 or see the website at www.americanhelicopter.museum for more information.
Don’t miss this unique holiday fun!
The American Helicopter Museum and Education Center, located at 1220 American Boulevard in the land of industry innovators in the Philadelphia region, is the nation’s premier aviation museum devoted exclusively to helicopters. Established in 1996, the nonprofit organization collects, restores and displays rotary-wing aircraft, including over 35 civilian and military helicopters, autogiros and convertaplanes.