Museum Re-opening Update, part 2 — AVIATION HISTORY MUSEUMS

By May 1948, Soviet forces had blocked all rail and road access through East Germany to the free sectors of Berlin. From June 1948 to May 1949, British and American aircraft carried out the Berlin Airlift to carry supplies to the citizens of Berlin. One of the airlift pilots, Gail Halvorsen, noticed some German children who were hanging around his plane during unloading. He dug into his pocket and found his last two sticks of gum and gave them to the kids. Seeing how excited they were over the gum, he decided to bring some candy on his next trip. The candy was a big hit. On the following trip, he waggled his wings on final approach for landing, and out of his window he dropped a bunch of Hershey bars attached to ‘parachutes’ made from handkerchiefs. Halvorsen soon became known as “Uncle Wiggly Wings” or “The Candy Bomber”. The tradition spread to other crews and remained popular throughout the Berlin Airlift.

Some years ago, a C-54 was restored in Berlin Airlift markings and, with Halvorsen aboard, began touring the US. One stop that they have made for over 20 years is Dare County Airport on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Arriving every year, just before Christmas, Halvorsen and his crew re-create the famous Candy Drop. The reason for this particular stop is that Karin Edmond, who was a young girl in Berlin during the Airlift and was a grateful recipient of some of that candy, now lives on the Outer Banks. After she had re-connected with Halvorsen, The Candy Bomber made sure that Karin’s new home was always a stop on the tour.

Gail Halvorsen, the Candy Bomber, and Karin Edmond greet the crowd at Dare County Airport. Gail was 98 when this photo was taken in 2018. He will be 100 when he makes his visit this year.

The C-54 is open to visitors and contains a mini-museum honoring the events of the Berlin Airlift.

The Candy Bomber makes a fly-by of the Wright Memorial on departure from the Outer Banks.

SUGGESTED READING

There are many excellent books about the Berlin Airlift. There are also several books about the ‘Candy Bomber’, including an autobiography by Gail S. Halvorsen - The Candy Bomber: Untold Stories from the Berlin Airlift's Uncle Wiggly Wings.

I was looking for a book to read on the subject of the Airlift and came across Air Bridge by Hammond Innes, a British author. My mother was English and I enjoy books about flying in Britain, especially in the 1920s-50s, which drew me to this quirky book. It is a novel about the development of a secret new engine that will revolutionize the Airlift. Although the plot seems dated (the book was written in 1951) the author rode on two missions to Berlin for research and accuracy. Some parts of the book give you a real feel of what operations were like during the Airlift. The Berlin Airlift began mainly using C-47s, but larger C-54s soon became the primary aircraft for the operation. There were also other, lesser-known, planes involved. The experimental engine in this book is fitted to an Avro Type 688 Tudor, a four-engine, tail wheel, transport developed from the Lincoln bomber. If you are reading about the Berlin Airlift, this book will give you a rare look into daily operations, as well as an interesting, but unusual, plot.

The Cannibal Queen, by Stephen Coonts, is one of those books that I always assume everyone has read. Perhaps not. Coonts, the author of many great action novels, such as Flight of the Intruder, spent a summer flying his restored 1942 Stearman to all lower 48 states. The book describes the joys (and frustrations) of flying around the country unencumbered by air traffic control and even radios. More than that, Coonts visits small towns and describes all the interesting people he meets. A great read for pilot and non-pilot alike.

I assume that, like me, everyone has been reading more lately- send in your recommendations!

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Museum re-opening status

As we all know, everything is in flux these days and if you are planning on visiting a museum, check first on their web site, or call, for the latest information. Most museums that are open have protocols in place and some have restricted entry and hours. All in all, though, things are progressing. I have not picked a museum yet, but I will visit one in July and publish a regular blog by the end of the month.

The information below is current as of June 30th.

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Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum, Teterboro, New Jersey.

Planning a mid-July opening.

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Alaska Aviation Museum in Anchorage, Alaska.

Re-opened May 28th.

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Museum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting in Greybull, Wyoming.

Hopefully opening by mid-July.

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Aviation Heritage Centre in Omaka New Zealand

Open.

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Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum, Cape May, NJ.

Opening July 2nd.

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Wright Brothers Memorial and Museum, Kill Devil Hills, NC

The Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center (Museum) will remain closed through at least July 17. This is consistent with North Carolina's current executive order. All outdoor areas of the park are open daily from 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Digital tickets can be purchased on line.

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Boeing Center of the National WWII Museum, New Orleans, LA.

Open.

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Air Mobility Command Museum, Dover, DE

The outdoor section of the museum opened on June 18th.

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Wings of Freedom, Willow Grove, PA.

Re-opened June 29th.

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The Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach, VA.

Open.

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The Museum of Flight, Seattle Washington

Closed.

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North Carolina Aviation Museum, Asheboro, NC.

No word yet in North Carolina about re-opening.

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EAA Aviation Museum, Oshkosh Wisconsin.

Re-opening announcement will be made on July 15th.

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Glenn L. Martin Museum, Middle River, MD.

Opened June 27th.

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Wings Over Miami, Miami, FL.

Opened June 17th.

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Mid-Atlantic Air Museum, Reading PA.

Closed.

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1940 Air Terminal Museum, Houston Texas.

Open.

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Tennessee Museum of Aviation, Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge Airport in Sevierville, TN.

Open.

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Palm Springs Air Museum, Palm Springs, CA.

Open.

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Hickory Aviation Museum, Hickory, NC.

No word yet in North Carolina about re-opening.

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American Helicopter Museum, West Chester, PA.

Re-opening Friday, July 10th.

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Florida Air Museum, Lakeland, FL.

Open.

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Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, AZ.

Opened June 15th.

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College Park Aviation Museum, College Park, MD.

Closed.

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Eighth Air Force Museum, Pooler, GA

Open

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Cincinnati Aviation History Society Museum, Lunken Airport, Cincinnati, OH.

Closed

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My brother Mike, my editor and occasional contributor, recently drove by The Erickson Collection Museum in Madras, Oregon, and noticed that it is open. It has about 20 aircraft, with many in flying condition and it looks like a great candidate for a future blog. Thanks Mike!

http://www.ericksoncollection.com/