What
(and who) WAS is...
Early in 1978 several airline enthusiasts in the Washington, DC area gathered to consider how best to share their mutual interests. From this gathering the Washington Airline Society (WAS) resulted, meeting for the first time in April 1978 and regularly since. WAS has hosted the annual Airliners International conventions in 1983, 1993 and 2006. Our society consists of than more than 100 members of all ages and many different occupations. Including pilots and other airline employees, past and present, authors, and those simply interested in airliners. Though most live in the greater Washington, DC, area, we have members in a number of other states and several foreign countries. See below for membership information.
What WAS does...
- Regular monthly meetings, invariably with a guest speaker and special topic of discussion illustrated with slides, videos, and films.
- Publication of our monthly Eye on the Sky newsletter with information about coming meetings and airlines generally. Members contribute articles and columns.
- Contests at those monthly meetings to identify airliners (from photos showing only a small portion of the aircraft, or perhaps its interior) or airports. Eye on the Sky sometimes includes a brain-teaser contest as well. Prizes for correct answers!
- Field trips to nearby airports and other air transport-related sites, and occasional research projects.
- Preservation of historical airline and airliner information and artifacts plus maintenance of a WAS reference archive of airline annual reports, a lengthy run of Jane's All the World's Aircraft and other resources.
- Airline-related flea markets and raffles -- a good way to improve your own collection.
- Occasional "member spotlight" presentations focusing on different aspects of our shared airline interest.
When and where WAS meets...
WAS meets in the Briefing Room of the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) which is part of the Smithsonian Institution. NASM is located on the Mall in Washington, DC. Free parking is available on nearby streets after 6:30 pm. The L'Enfant Plaza Metro station is a short walk from the museum.
Meetings are usually held on the last Wednesday of each month, starting at 7 pm. Exact meeting dates and topics are subject to occasional change -- current information is found in our monthly Eye on the Sky newsletter. We do not meet in December, but hold a holiday party early in January.
WAS membership...
While guests are always welcome to attend meetings, we also encourage new members -- whether experts or novices -- with an interest in airlines and airliners both domestic and international. Our current annual membership fee of only $20 includes a subscription to the Eye on the Sky monthly newsletter.