Chris Browne knows a thing or two about aircraft. He logged more than 1,400 flight hours with the U.S. Navy before working for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority managing both Ronald Reagan National and Washington Dulles International airports. Now, as the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, Browne oversees the DC location as well as the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly.
The Smithsonian recently announced that the Udvar-Hazy Boeing Aviation Hangar will be expanding. What are you most excited about in terms of that project?
The story of aerospace continues to unfold, and the stories present [themselves], and we want to tell those stories. And we also have a lot still in storage that we would like to display. The [Udvar-]Hazy Center is now within the top 20 visited cultural locations in North America. It’s really quite remarkable. It’s a national treasure right in our backyard in Fairfax [with] over 1.2 million people a year [visiting]. We’ve raised a significant amount to proceed with the expansion plan. So, we’re looking forward to that, and sort of taking Hazy to the next level.
How do you feel about funding in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” being allocated to move the Space Shuttle Discovery to Texas. Is that really happening?
Well, let’s just say that there is a political desire [to move it]. They have funding to relocate the shuttle to Texas. We, on our part with the Smithsonian, are working very hard to prevent that from happening. We think it’s badly ill-advised for many, many reasons. But it’s still here, and we’re working hard to make sure it stays here. So, whether we prevail in keeping it here remains to be seen.
What are some of the less-explored hidden gems at Udvar-Hazy?
There are hidden gems all over the place. There’s one in the space hangar. We have satellites, [but] almost all the satellites you see are either spares, prototypes, or in some cases, even models. But we do have one satellite that has been up [in space] and back five times. And it was because of a space shuttle. It went up, and it would launch it, and it would orbit, and a subsequent flight would capture it and bring it back. And so, to have that in the collection is exceedingly rare. There’s nothing else on the planet like that. I actually have flight time in the F-14 that’s on display.
What do you like about living in Northern Virginia?
Being able to take the dog for a walk in the Manassas Battlefield is pretty special. And the wine tasting is always great. I think Northern Virginia has done a great job sort of expanding into really desirable endeavors. The restaurant scene is really improved. You don’t need to go to the District, some of the best Italian food is right out there in Centreville.
What’s your favorite restaurant there?
And your favorite way to spend a day off from work in NoVA?
Well, I love the outdoors and exercise. And sometimes the day off will just be in our yard. I grow orchids. I like to garden. [My wife and I] enjoy the dining scene. And then we’ll go to a winery or two. We definitely have some favorite spots — Paradise Springs is one of them.
Are you still flying?
I am. I’ve got a light sport aircraft that I keep in a hangar in Warrenton and it’s an awful lot of fun. This airspace can get a little crazy around here, but I tend to fly towards the west. But especially this time of year, as the leaves change and everything, it’s just a beautiful time.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Feature image by Dane Penland, courtesy Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum
This story originally ran in our December issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
