The Heritage Flight Museum has teamed up with local photographers to offer a seminar on how to best take aviation and vintage war plane photos, whether you have a basic camera phone or the latest and greatest equipment. “Through the Lens,” will start at 1pm this Saturday at the Heritage Flight Museum, 4165 Mitchell Way. The seminar is free, but you do need to pay for the cost of museum admission, $5 for adults or $3 for children under 17.

Visit the Heritage Flight Museum webpage for more information.

Seventy years ago today Bellingham International Airport officially opened, and cars were invited to drive along the newly paved runways. This happy day was ultimately overshadowed by the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, and according to local historians, drivers touring the new runways kept their radios tuned to what would be the first news reports of the surprise attack that ushered the U.S. into World War II.

The next day, the U.S. declared war on Japan and the Army took over operations at the airport, making the 3,000 visitors and 827 automobiles that drove across the runway on Dec. 7, 1941, some of the last civilians to visit the airport for many years. The Army officially transferred control back to civilian leadership in October of 1946. Today, more than 808,000 travelers fly in and out of Bellingham International Airport on flights to eight different locations, including Hawaii, Los Angles and Phoenix.

Read more about the history of the Bellingham Airport.