SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The San Diego Air and Space Museum was filled with families on Sunday as dads and their loved ones celebrated Father's Day by exploring aviation history together.
For many fathers, the museum offered a perfect opportunity to share their passion for aerodynamics and science with their children.
"My family knows that I love things about aerodynamics so it's a great spot to hang out with the family," said Mark Hartley, a San Diego resident.
Hartley appreciated the quality time with his children.
"I love the fact that I have children that I can spend time with, and I'm happy that they still want to spend time with me," he said.
The museum attracted visitors from across the country, including the Schmitz family who traveled all the way from Iowa to create new memories.
"I just try to show the kids different things that both the boys and my daughter and kind of science as well as art, and we thought this would be the perfect place to come visit," Tony Schmitz said.
For one father-son duo, Sterling and Scott Baldwin, a 13-hour drive couldn't keep them apart on this special day.
"I've wanted to come to the Air and Space Museum for years, and there's no one else I'd rather go to the museum with than my dad," Sterling Baldwin said.
Scott Baldwin reflected on the significance of spending Father's Day with his son.
"I get to see my son in his native habitat as a grown man with a full-time job and a pregnant wife. And he's exactly the same age now that I was when he was born. So it's great," he said.
The museum celebrated fathers by offering them free admission for the day.
David Neville, Communications Director for the San Diego Air and Space Museum, shared how his own father influenced his career path.
"I have such fond memories of my father, and he really fostered my love of aviation, and we're trying to do the same thing here today," Neville said.
Though Neville's father is no longer alive, his impact continues.
"I learned a lot of aviation from my father, and it's helped me. I tell people for the second time in my life I have my dream job, and it's because I'm honoring my father every day," he said.
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