WASHINGTON, DC.- The “Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight Gallery” opens to the public Nov. 19 at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, replacing the original “Pioneers” gallery that opened in 1976. Updated with new research, it features a broader selection of artifacts and puts aviation and rocketry in the historical and cultural context of the vibrant era between World War I and World War II. The gallery profiles the individuals who pushed the existing technological or social limits of flight, and every aircraft or object in it represents an unprecedented feat, a barrier overcome—a pioneering step. “Pioneers of Flight” highlights the first half of the 20th century, a time when flight technology rapidly advanced and military and civilian aviation grew tremendously. Aircraft racing and record setting captured headlines and African Americans began to break through the social barriers of flight. In 19